"We see a huge prospect of operating flights from Bangladesh, with a large number of passengers flying to Malaysia, Thailand and other cities in the region," Kamaruddin Meranun, group deputy chief executive officer of the airline, told a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.

The high official of the company is now in Bangladesh to explore the possibilities of regional airline operation in association with East-West Airlines of Bangladesh.

The East-West Airlines, a sister concern of Orion Group, has already obtained Provisional Air Transport Operating Licence. The airline is planning to operate flights on domestic routes.

"The expected deal between Air Asia and East-West Airlines on operating both domestic and international flights will be the first foreign direct investment in Bangladesh's aviation sector," K Mojibul Hoq, executive president of Orion Group, told the briefing at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

In the open sky policy regime, the initiative of joint co-operation between East-West Airlines and Air Asia will be a huge boost for the development of the aviation sector, Hoq noted.

Air Asia that began its operations in Malaysia in 1996 now has expanded its services to Thailand and Indonesia through joint ventures.

The airline is now operating 100 flights a day from four hubs located in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baharu in Malaysia.

Captain Chin Nyok San, executive vice president of Air Asia, and Salman Obaidul Karim, director of Orion Group, were also present at the press meet.