The Managing Director of US-Bangla Airlines, Mohammed Abdullah Al Mamun, on Sunday announced an ambitious expansion plan under which the carrier aims to operate flights to 30 destinations in 20 countries by December 2027, alongside the launch of a second airline under the US-Bangla Group. 

Speaking at a Meet the Press programme in Cox's Bazar, Mamun said US-Bangla, which began operations in 2014, has grown into one of Bangladesh's largest private airlines and remains committed to expanding both its domestic and international network.

He said the airline currently operates scheduled flights on six domestic routes and to 14 international destinations across 10 countries.

Mamun said the group would operate two separate airlines—one as a full-service carrier and the other as a low-cost carrier (LCC)—to cater to different categories of passengers. An official announcement regarding the new airline will be made on July 29 at a programme in Dhaka.

He said 21 brand-new aircraft would join the US-Bangla fleet between January and December 2027, enabling the airline to introduce new international services with newly manufactured aircraft.

According to him, the airline's future fleet will offer wireless entertainment streaming, in-flight internet connectivity and mobile charging facilities at every seat . He added that the airline plans to provide internet access free of charge for passengers.

Mamun said the average age of US-Bangla's fleet is around 10 years , which he said is comparable with leading global airlines and reflects the carrier's commitment to maintaining modern aircraft.

He said US-Bangla and its sister concern Air Astra together currently account for about 75 percent of Bangladesh's domestic aviation market. US-Bangla alone operates around 94 domestic flights daily, equivalent to roughly 2,600 flights a month, while it also operates around 30 international flights every day, taking its total monthly flight operations to approximately 3,500.

Highlighting the airline's international expansion, Mamun said US-Bangla was the first Bangladeshi private airline after independence to launch direct services to Chennai and China, while it also pioneered flights to the Maldives.

He said the direct Chennai service was introduced primarily to facilitate Bangladeshi patients seeking medical treatment in southern India, while the Maldives route significantly reduced travel costs for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

He added that flights to Bengaluru were introduced to meet growing demand for medical travel, while the airline is planning to launch services to Phuket, Brunein, South Korea, Japan, Dammam and Madinah, subject to regulatory approvals and bilateral agreements where required.

Mamun said the airline currently operates flights to Qatar, Oman, Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Riyadh in the Middle East, as well as to Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in Southeast Asia.

On safety and training, he said US-Bangla has earned recognition for meeting the IATA Ground Operations Safety Audit (IGOM) standards and follows international training practices adopted by leading global airlines, including Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways.

He also said the airline had sponsored overseas pilot training for 50 Bangladeshi youths selected through the Bangladesh Air Force and plans to send another 200 trainees in the future.

According to Mamun, US-Bangla pays around Tk 500 crore annually in revenue to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). He urged policymakers to provide greater support to the country's aviation sector, saying stronger participation by Bangladeshi airlines in international markets would help retain significant amounts of foreign currency within the country.

He said the airline's long-term objective is to develop a globally competitive aviation product while strengthening Bangladesh's position in international air transport.