Prospects for budget air in Bangladesh

In spite of its several recently opened inter-district highways and bridges across the wide rivers, the affluent travellers of Bangladesh still prefer air travels within the country. The causes vary. For most of them travel-time remains the greatest factor. Moreover, the assurance of smooth and safe travel prompts many to travel by the several private domestic operators. The 2018 air crash involving a fast rising Bangladesh private airliner at the Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, had discouraged Bangladesh passengers from travelling by domestic private airlines in the country and on the regional routes. After the passing of years, journeys by the domestic airways regained their passengers' confidence. The air travels have no parallel when it comes to emergencies. This apart, clogged highways and the spectre of road accidents have yet to be efficiently dealt with. Lax traffic management, the drivers' compulsive irresponsibility and the trend to break laws still dominate the country's road travels. Against this anarchic backdrop, many capable travellers going for air trips emerge as natural.

Moreover, the wave of the resurgence in air travel worldwide, Bangladesh cannot be expected to trail behind. Perhaps in pursuance of this, the ready-to-take-off Air Astra, the latest entrant in the country's domestic airlines business, is set to greet its fast batch of passengers on November 24. 

Given a small number of the private carriers, the field is open to many other air business-hopefuls. Like the essentially domestic airlines of India, also dubbed the budget air, which at one time or the other included the short-distance regional destinations, the Bangladesh domestic airlines can follow suit. Already, a couple of the domestic carriers have spread their wings having regional destinations in their mind. Many commercial aviation watchers stress this point, by elaborating on the great prospects for the airlines connecting the regional destinations. But for this to achieve, the commercial airline entrepreneurs must prepare to put into service low-fare carriers like that in India. Few small planes, barring a few others, in that large country remain grounded. Beginning from GoAir, IndigoAirlines, AirAsia India to SpiceJet, Akash Air continue to earn great popularity. The country's budget-air travels can be embarked on nominal fare. On a shoe-string budget, a lower-middle class small family can travel mid-distances by air. Similar are the cases for Nepal's short-distance budget-air journeys.

The sector of air-travel on low fare, with just cookies and water on board, continues to mint money in many countries. What is lacking in some of these flights is the foolproof security during operation. Along with the exclusively comfortable journeys on domestic routes, the Bangladesh airline operators can also keep options for the budget air travels. Profits from these operations in most likelihood will surpass those made from conventional flights.

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