Air Astra wants Airbus planes to operate on international routes

The company has sights set on Phuket in Thailand, Johor Bahru in Malaysia, Kathmandu or Pokhara in Nepal as options for destinations

The latest privately-owned Bangladeshi airline Air Astra seeks to procure three to four Airbus jets to fly international routes two and a half years after its launch.

The company called for proposals involving “DRY/OPERATING LEASE or OUTRIGHT PURCHASE” of Airbus aircraft from the A320 and A321 series on their website and Facebook page.

The A320 and A321 models are quite popular narrow-body jets for medium-haul flights. Different airlines keep the two models in their preferred queue due to their fuel efficiency and operational comfort.

When asked, Sakib Hasan Shuvo, Air Astra deputy manager (public relations), told bdnews24.com: "We have already started the process of procuring aircraft internally. Now we have officially invited proposals. We want to buy Airbus aircraft."

Air Astra had expressed interest in operating flights to Kathmandu or Pokhara in Nepal in early 2024. However, their services have so far remained within the country.

When asked about this, Shuvo said: “Initially, we planned to start flights to Nepal with the aircraft currently in the fleet. But after some deliberation, we have moved away from that plan.”

Air Astra has taken to flying to new international destinations in the latest initiative, seeking aircraft with economy cabins. However, they have no objection to adding two-class aircraft to the fleet.

According to the company's announcement, those interested must deliver the aircraft by this year. The jets must be less than 15 years old at the time of delivery.

Asked on which international routes Air Astra planned to fly, Shuvo said: "If the planes are procured, we will consider Phuket in Thailand, Johor Bahru in Malaysia, Kathmandu or Pokhara in Nepal as options for destinations."

Regarding when flight operations can start, Shuvo said: "There are many factors involved here. However, we would like to operate flights on international routes by 2025."

Air Astra launched commercial flights on domestic routes on Nov 24, 2022. The airline now has four ATR 72-600 aircraft in its collection.

These jets currently fly on Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, Chaittogram, Saidpur and Jashore routes.