Tackle aviation on all fronts
Masudur Rahman, founder and managing director of Galaxy Flying Academy.Photo: STAR
Galaxy Flying Academy Ltd aspires to lead the aviation market of Asia by being involved in all five aspects of the business, said the academy's founder Masudur Rahman in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star.
“With the first project, the academy envisaged to take off next year and run smoothly. We plan to launch domestic flights and air ambulances from Rajshahi on a commercial basis as our second priority,” said Rahman.
He said GFAL signed a memorandum of understanding with Kuala Lumpur International Flying Academy, Malaysia, in September for exchange of students, instructors, course materials, course curriculum and other forms of support regarding maintenance of aircraft and supply of spares.
“We are working on a third project as well. We will set up an aviation college in Rajshahi and fourthly, we plan to build an airhostess training centre. Finally, we'll move to form an aircraft repairs and maintenance shop.”
The Malaysian company will share with GFAL their technology and financial investments, Rahman said. Bangladesh will control its aviation market with Malaysian assistance, he added.
“If we can make the joint venture a success, many people in our country will get jobs. Also, we will not need any foreign pilots after a few years.”
The academy plans to get affiliated with reputed flying academies in the US, Canada and Europe to explore, and find jobs and better opportunities for its pilots.
Rahman has lived in Canada for 30 years. In a bid 'to repay debts to one's motherland', he along with a few friends established GFAL.
“Our goal is to emerge as the best flying academy in Asia, offering and providing state-of-the-art flying training to students, from both home and abroad, as well as aircraft maintenance services.”
“The aviation industry is growing so fast all over that one cannot expect to stand a chance in competition if we do not start now,” he said.
The industry is facing a lack of skilled manpower and maintenance facilities. “If we can provide these from Rajshahi, the north-western city will be a hub of international investment in no time.”
“I was initially asked to choose a training venue in Chittagong, Sylhet or Cox's Bazaar regions, but we settled for Rajshahi,” said Rahman. “As a man from this region, I strongly believe that places like Rajshahi should be brought to the notice of investors. The country will not develop if parts of it are left uncared for.”
He said Rajshahi is a beautiful congestion-free city where a large airport lies underutilized. The local people are cooperative, which renders it lucrative for growing aviation research and marketing, he added.
“Although we set up our head office in Dhaka, Rajshahi will be our base for every activity. We are planning to start all academic activities in Rajshahi as we are currently holding our ground classes in Dhaka.”
“Bangladeshi students are our main target. They lack facilities despite having brilliance and sharp learning capacities,” Rahman observed.
“I myself dreamt of becoming a pilot, but I couldn't make it. I have an opportunity now to facilitate the development of the kids of my country.”
He said if they can have 60 percent Bangladeshi and 40 percent overseas students at GFAL, the Bangladeshi trainee pilots will get further opportunities to interact and develop themselves.
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