The Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) is owed Tk 1223 crore by four private airlines. Out of these four airlines, three are currently closed. The amount the three closed airlines owe is over Tk 1192 crore. This information was divulged in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on Sunday (September 17, 2023) held at the Sangsad Bhaban. Also read: Irregularities in leasing Egypt Air planes: ACC questions 7 CAAB officials The Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism wanted to know how much money CAAB owes or is owed  in their dealings with domestic private airlines companies. CAAB gave a report in this regard in the parliamentary standing committee meeting today with its chairman RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury in the chair. According to the sources, CAAB in its report said that it is owed a total of Tk 1,222.98 crore by Regent Airways, Novo Air, United Airways and GMG Airlines. Among them, only Novo Air still flies. As of last May, two other private airlines, US Bangla and Air Astra, both of which are still in business, have no debt.  Also read: Civil Aviation Ministry asked to take action against CAAB officials for irregularities CAAB is owed more than Tk 408 crore by Regent Airways, while GMG Airlines owes more than Tk 396 crore. CAAB is owed Tk 388.97 crore by United Airways and from Novo Air it is owed Tk 29.48crore. After the meeting, a press release of the Parliament Secretariat informed that the parliamentary committee has recommended taking necessary measures to collect the money owed by the private airlines. Meanwhile, the report of the sub-committee on the investigation of the Hotel Intercontinental renovation project which was presented in the previous meeting of the committee was in the discussion list of today’s meeting. The report claimed that it was not needed to spend exorbitantly on the renovation works. Also read:  ACC finds 19 areas of corruption in Biman, Caab Government money has been unnecessarily spent for the benefit of certain people, the report said. According to the report, the rooms of 26 square meters has been increased to 40 square meters. As a result, the number of rooms was reduced to 226 from 272. The report claims that this was not necessary. Apart from this, the committee recommended to widen the road from Cox's Bazar airport to the city on an urgent basis and improve its beauty, maintain the cleanliness of the beach and implement the activities with mutual coordination. The committee members Mosharraf Hossain, Ashek Ullah, Syeda Rubina Akhtar, Kaniz Fatema Ahmed were present in the meeting.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited has published a job circular for the recruitment of manpower. 40 people will be recruited for the post of Aircraft Mechanic (Maintenance) in this airline. Interested candidates should apply online. Vacancies in Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited in 2023 Post Name: Aircraft Mechanic (Maintenance) No. of Posts: 40 Eligibility: Must have completed CAATI/EASS Part 147 approved BI.I (Aircraft Turbine) or B2 (Avionics) course. Preference will be given to candidates with minimum one year related work experience in aircraft maintenance organization. First Division with Science in both SSC and HSC examination or minimum GPA-3.5 on a scale of 5. A minimum of 'D' in any five subjects in 'O' Level and minimum 'D' in any two subjects in 'A' Level. Read more: Job Circular in Rampal power plant 2023: 12 people will be appointed in five category posts Minimum 60 percent marks in both Physics and Mathematics or GPA-5 scale 3.5 in HSC examination. A minimum of 'C' in both Physics and Mathematics at 'A' level. Age: Below 30 years as on 25 March 2020. 32 years in case of children of brave freedom fighters. Pay Scale: 12,500-30,230 Tk Type of job The selected candidates for this post will initially be appointed on contractual basis for a period of three years. Assimilation will be permanent from the date of joining after satisfactory completion of three years contractual service. Read more: Here's how you can apply for a Canadian work visa from Bangladesh How to apply Interested candidates should apply by filling the form on this website. Detailed information regarding recruitment can be known in this link. If there is any problem in applying online, call 121 from Teletalk number or email at [email protected]. Application fee Application fee of Tk 334 should be deposited through SMS from Teletalk prepaid mobile number within 72 hours of online form filling. Last date of application: 27 June 2023, up to 5 PM. Read more: 7 Ways to Earn Money with ChatGpt

President Joe Biden said Monday his administration will write new regulations that will require airlines to compensate air travelers and cover their meals and hotel rooms if they are stranded for reasons within the airline's control. The compensation would be in addition to ticket refunds when the airline is at fault for a flight being canceled or significantly delayed. It would give consumers in the United States protections similar to those in the European Union. “I know how frustrated many of you are with the service you get from your U.S. airlines,” Biden said. “That's why our top priority has been to get American air travelers a better deal.” Biden added, “You deserve more than just getting the price of your ticket (refunded) — you deserve to be fully compensated. Your time matters, the impact on your life matters." Biden’s pledge comes just weeks before the start of the peak summer travel season, when air travel could exceed pre-coronavirus pandemic records. Officials at the Transportation Department, which will write the new rules, said they didn't have a precise date for when they expect to finish, but indicated they are working to quickly publish a notice that is required to get the process started. As outlined at the White House by Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the rules would focus on cancellations and long delays caused by things such as mechanical issues with the plane or lack of a crew. Airlines for America, which represents the biggest carriers, said in a statement that airlines have no incentive to delay or cancel flights. The trade group said more than half of cancellations in 2022 and 2023 have been caused by “extreme weather” or air traffic control outages. “Carriers have taken responsibility for challenges within their control and continue working diligently to improve operational reliability,” including hiring more workers and reducing their schedules, the group said. After the pandemic hit, airlines received $54 billion in federal aid that included a prohibition on layoffs, but that didn't prevent them from paying tens of thousands of workers to quit or retire early. Airlines have added about 118,000 workers since November 2020 and now have 5% more employees than before the pandemic, according to Transportation Department figures. The rate of canceled flights has declined to 1.6% so far this year, compared with 2.1% in the same period last year. However, delays are slightly more common and a few minutes longer on average, according to data from tracking service FlightAware. Currently, when an airline cancels a flight for any reason, consumers can demand a refund of the unused part of their ticket and certain extras that they might have paid to the airline, such as fees for checking a bag or getting a seat assignment. Airlines often try to persuade consumers to accept a travel voucher instead of a refund. After widespread flight disruptions last summer, the Transportation Department posted an online dashboard to let consumers compare airline policies on refunds and compensation. The Transportation Department is expanding the site to indicate when airlines offer cash, travel vouchers or frequent-flyer miles as compensation for flight disruptions under their control. None of the major U.S. airlines offer cash for controllable cancellations or long delays, only Alaska Airlines offers frequent-flyer miles, and only Alaska and JetBlue provide travel credits, according to the dashboard. Biden and Buttigieg credited the dashboard with pushing the 10 largest U.S. airlines to promise to provide cash or vouchers for meals when a carrier-caused cancellation forces passengers to wait at least three hours for another flight. Nine of the 10 — all but Frontier Airlines — also promise under those circumstances to pay for accommodations for passengers stranded overnight. Questions arose again around reimbursing consumers for out-of-pocket costs after Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights during a December meltdown in service. The Transportation and Justice departments are investigating whether Southwest scheduled more flights than it realistically could handle. A report last month from the congressional Government Accountability Office blamed airlines for a surge in cancellations as air travel began to recover in 2021 and early 2022. The Federal Aviation Administration has also created disruptions due to technology outages and staffing shortages. The FAA recently encouraged airlines to reduce flights to and from major New York airports this summer because it doesn't have enough air traffic controllers at a key facility.

The Bangladesh government has decided to use the local currency, taka, instead of US dollar to determine airfare for carrying passengers and transporting goods from home to abroad — effective from July 1 this year. The decision was announced in a circular signed by the deputy secretary of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry recently.  Following the directive, all local and foreign airlines operating in the country will have to determine airfare in taka instead of dollars.   Read more: Reduce airfare on Middle East routes: Baira Bangladeshi airlines outside the country have been setting airfare in the currencies of those countries, so airfare in Bangladesh should be in taka too, according to the circular. With the Finance Ministry’s consent, the move was taken on the basis of approvals from the authorities concerned later.      

Major U.S. airlines were broadsided by the massive weekend winter storm that swept across large swaths of the country but had largely recovered by Tuesday, except for one. Problems at Southwest Airlines appeared to snowball after the worst of the storm passed. It cancelled more than 70% of its flights Monday, more than 60% on Tuesday, and warned that it would operate just over a third of its usual schedule in the days ahead to allow crews to get back to where they needed to be. American, United, Delta and JetBlue, suffered cancellations rates of between none and 2% by Tuesday. The disparity has triggered a closer look at Southwest operations by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which called the rate of cancellations “disproportionate and unacceptable,” and sought to ensure that the Dallas carrier was sticking by its obligations to stranded customers. The size and severity of the storm created havoc for airlines. Airports were overwhelmed by intense snowfall and drifts. Airlines cancelled as many as 20% of their flights Saturday and Sunday and Buffalo Niagara International Airport, close to the epicenter of the storm, remains closed Tuesday. Read more: Northwestern US heat wave could have hottest day on Tuesday Yet it has become clear that Southwest is suffering a disproportionate disruption. Of the approximately 2,950 flight cancellations in the U.S. by midday Tuesday, 2,549 were called off by Southwest. Southwest spokesman Jay McVay said at a press conference in Houston that cancellations snowballed as storm systems moved across the country, leaving flight crews and planes out of place. “So we’ve been chasing our tails, trying to catch up and get back to normal safely, which is our number one priority as quickly as we could,” he said. “And that’s exactly how we ended up where we are today.” Passengers stood in long lines trying to rebook their flights. The Department of Transportation said on Twitter that it was “concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service.” The tweet said the department would look into whether Southwest could have done anything about the cancellations and whether the airline was complying with its customer service plan. Bryce Burger and his family were supposed to be on a cruise to Mexico departing from San Diego on Dec. 24, but their flight from Denver was cancelled without warning or notice, he said Tuesday. The flight was rebooked through Burbank, California, but that flight was canceled while they sat at the gate. “Just like my kids’ Christmas sucks. It’s horrible,” Burger said by phone from Salt Lake, where the family decided to drive after giving up the cruise. The family’s luggage is still at the Denver airport and Burger doesn’t know if he can get a refund for the cruise because the flight to California was booked separately. Burger’s call logs show dozens of unsuccessful attempts to reach Southwest over two days. The company did responded to a tweet he sent. He said they offered him and his family each a $250 voucher. Read more: Mild cold wave likely in Bangladesh this week Southwest did not comment immediately on Tuesday and information related to the cancellations was last updated on the company’s site Monday. The president of the union representing Southwest pilots blamed the lack of crews to fly planes on scheduling software written in the 1990s and on management that he said failed to fix things after previous meltdowns, including a major disruption in October 2021. “There is a lot of frustration because this is so preventable,” said the union official, Capt. Casey Murray. “The airline cannot connect crews to airplanes. I’m concerned about this weekend. I’m concerned about a month from now.”

New Bangladeshi private carrier Air Astra will start operations in November. The airline received the go-ahead from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Thursday. Read: US-Bangla Airlines wins Best Domestic Airlines award Air Commodore Shah Kawsar Ahmed Choudhury, member for flight standards and regulations of CAAB, handed over the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to Imran Asif, chief executive officer and accountable manager of Air Astra, at a ceremony in Dhaka. Air Astra already took delivery of two ATR 72-600 aircraft at Dhaka and two more aircraft are scheduled to be delivered within 2022. The French-built aircraft is one of the most modern turboprops in the world with excellent industry reliability, configured to carry 70 passengers in a comfortable, quiet cabin, according to a media statement.

Action will be taken over allegations of corruption and nepotism in recruitment of Biman Bangladesh Airlines pilots, state minister for civil aviation and tourism Md Mahbub Ali warned today (September 6, 2022). He was speaking at the 'BSRF Dialogue' organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat. The state minister said several newspapers have reported on the allegations regarding the pilots' recruitment. Read: Biman launches flights to China’s Guangzhou "It has been investigated by the highest level, through various agencies. We have also investigated the issues through our ministry, and the airline has its own investigation too," the state minister said. Likely, nine of the initially appointed pilots were selected and were dropped or they did not join, he added. He said some are currently in simulation training. Read:ACC approves charges against 3 former, 1 current Biman high-ups “This is the latest information I have. Reviewing their performance from the training, a final decision will be made on their appointments,” he said. "We will also take action against those who initially selected them (pilots), following the investigation report," Mahbub added. Bangladesh Pilot Association (BAPA) also sent a letter to the airlines' managing director on August 28 demanding investigation into irregularities, corruption and nepotism in recruiting pilots. Read US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from Saturday Regarding the harassment at the tourist center, he said the deputy commissioners (DCs) of Cox's Bazar and other tourist destinations were directed to monitor everything closely. "I asked the magistrate to see the price list." The state minister also hoped that the newly-built third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be able to operate from October next year. At the third terminal, arrangements are being made so that passengers can get transport at all times, he added. Read US-Bangla resumes Chattogram-Kolkata flights September 1 He also said initiatives have been taken to upgrade Cox's Bazar Airport to an international standard. Besides, aesthetically pleasing and modern terminals have been constructed in Saidpur and Jashore. "We will also take the initiative to construct an airport in Barishal." Regarding gold smuggling, the state minister said, "We have instructed airport authorities to check all passengers as soon as they get off flights." Read US-Bangla to operate two daily flight from Dhaka-Kolkata from August 4 BSRF general secretary Masudul Haque presided over the dialogue chaired by its president Tapan Biswas.

Private carrier US-Bangla Airlines will resume its flights on the Chattogram-Kolkata-Chattogram route on September 1. The airline will operate flights on this route seven days a week, Md Kamrul Islam, general manager (public relations) of the US-Bangla, said Sunday. The flights will leave Shah Amanat International Airport at 11:10am and will land at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 11:40pm (local time). Read Triplover, US-Bangla sponsor Dhaka Travel Mart 2022 The return flights will leave Kolkata at 12:40pm (local time) on the same day and arrive in Chattogram at 2:10pm. Apart from operating flights on all domestic routes, US-Bangla now runs flights to Singapore, Chennai, Male, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Sharjah, Dubai, Muscat and Kolkata. Read US-Bangla offers holiday package to Maldives' Maafushi Island

US-Bangla Airlines, one of the largest private airlines in the country, will operate two flights on daily basis from Dhaka to Kolkata from August 4 due to the increase in passengers, said a press release signed by Md. Kamrul Islam, general manager (Public Relations) of the organisation. The airlines is currently operating one daily flight from Dhaka to Kolkata which takes off at 10:00 am and again comes back at 12:55 pm. The newly second flight will depart Dhaka for Kolkata at 6:30 pm every day from August 4 and depart from Kolkata to Dhaka at 7:35 pm IST. Read: US-Bangla to run daily flights on Dhaka-Kolkata route from March 26 The airlines will operate the flights with Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route. The US-Bangla has a total of 16 aircraft including 6 Boeing 737-800 to its fleet. Along with the existing route, the airline plans to operate new flights on Chittagong-Kolkata and Dhaka-Delhi routes in the days coming. Ticket aspirants are asked to contact their sales points or any travel agency. Read Triplover, US-Bangla sponsor Dhaka Travel Mart 2022

Novoair, a private airlines of Bangladesh, celebrated the 9th anniversary of its operation through various programmes.Novoair's inaugural flight took off on January 9, 2013 from Dhaka to Chattogram.Managing Director of Novoair Mofizur Rahman has greeted all by saying Novoair has always given priority to its customers’ safety, security, comfort, and on-time performance. Also read: NOVOAIR to operate six flights daily to Cox’s Bazar "We have earned passengers trust for safe air travel over the years. Novoair is always pro-active in enhancing the quality of passenger service and maintaining on-time departure," he said on Sunday.He said they are persistently adding modern technology in order to improve their service."To celebrate our 9th anniversary, we have launched mobile boarding pass service to provide more advanced services to the passengers. As in the past, Novoair is playing the leading role in digital advancement in Bangladesh aviation sector, " Rahman added.Novoair has 7 ATR 72-500 model aircraft in its fleet. Also read: NOVOAIR celebrates 8th anniversaryOn this special occasion, he said, their commitment will be ensuring of passenger safety with the addition of more aircrafts, expanding domestic and international destinations, consistent with our valuable passengers' needs.Novoair network covers between Dhaka and Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Jashore, Sylhet, Saidpur, Rajshahi, Barishal for domestic and Kolkata for international destination.