Dhaka, July 22 (bdnews24.com) – Private airline Best Air is set to launch its first direct flights from Dhaka to Colombo from July 28, to coincide with the SAARC summit beginning in Sri Lanka from July 27, an airline official said Tuesday.
Best Air manager (marketing and sales) Sohel Majid told bdnews24.com: "We have decided to operate two flights a week primarily for the people of Sri Lanka living in Bangladesh for study and other purposes."
"As there is no direct flight to Sri Lanka they currently have to travel via Bangkok or Singapore."
The flights will be operated on Fridays and Mondays, he said.
Authorities have set $800 (Tk 56,000) for a return and $450 (Tk 31,500) for a one way ticket to Colombo.
The route will also be extended later to Maldives capital of Male, another airline official said.
Best Air public relations officer Tito Siddique told bdnews24.com: "Male is an attractive spot for Bangladeshi tourists. As many people travel there we have planned to operate flights to Male soon."
Zia International Airport director wing commander Saeedul Hossan Khan welcomed the direct Dhaka-Colombo flight.
Sri Lankan airlines had launched direct flights on this route earlier, but shut them down after a few days, he said.
Best Air began operating from January this year by leasing a Boeing 737 to run its Dhaka-Chittagong route.
The private airline closed its Dhaka-Chittagong flight recently, but launched Dhaka-Bangkok flights from May.
It has also received approval to operate flights on 11 international routes including Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Bahrain, said officials.
Tito Siddique said the organisation would lease ERG-145 and MD-83 aircraft soon to offer better and extended service to passengers.
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