Aero Bengal to resume services in 2 routes from Tuesday
Aero Bengal Airlines, the only airline in the private sector in the country will resume its services in Dhaka-Barisal and Dhaka-Chittagong routes on Tuesday next, Air Commodore (retd) Moin-Ul Islam, one of the owners of the company said yesterday. The Aero Bengal Airlines had started operating in the routes under a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) service on July 17, 1995 with two Chinese Y-12 aircraft and one Russian AN-24 aircraft. The services were stopped after the Civil Aviation Authorities of Bangladesh (CAAB) raised objection on technical grounds. The CAAB had stopped operation of the 48-seater AN-24 aircraft in Dhaka-Chittagong route because the Aero Bengal had no ownership papers of the aircraft. It had procured the aircraft on lease. Operation of the two Chinese aircraft were stopped for checkup of their prophellers.
"We have procured ownership papers of the AN-24 aircraft and got CAAB's permission to resume services," Islam told this correspondent. "We are sending the propellers of the two Chinese aircraft to Singapore for thorough examination," he added. The two Y-12 aircraft are expected to join the service in about three weeks time, he said. But a source, who requested anonymity, said the life of the propellers had run out. A propheller needs overhauling after every five years or 3000 flying hours, it was learnt. The prophellers of the two Y-12 aircraft did not cross the 3000 mark but crossed their fifth year, it was further learnt. Meanwhile other sources said the Aero Bengal owed Tk 12 lakh to it as landing charge and other charges.
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