Regent Airways unveils Tk 800cr expansion plan

Regent Airways is set to invest Tk 800 crore in the next two years to expand its fleet and international operation, its officials said yesterday.

Five brand new aircraft -- three Boeing 737-800 and two Boeing 767-200 -- will be added to its fleet and 13 international routes launched, Mashruf Habib, the airline's managing director, said at a press conference in the port city to mark Regent's fourth anniversary.

As part of its expansion plan, Regent, a unit of Chittagong-based Habib Group, will connect new destinations: Nepal, Bahrain, Doha, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Johor Bahru in Malaysia.

The country's aviation sector has huge potential for its high population density and geographical location, Habib said, adding that the rise in income level also bodes well. “Now, air travel is not limited to the affluent class -- middle-income people can easily afford it.”

Other than the procurement of new aircraft and increase in routes, the airline is investing in technology, passenger service, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, Sam Issac, chief adviser of Regent Airways, said.

Passengers will see a lot of changes in service quality in the coming days, he added.