Bangladesh's Fly Dhaka eyes mid-4Q24 launch

Three years after acquiring a no-objection certificate and two years after saying it was in the final stages of securing its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC), would-be Bangladeshi start-up Fly Dhaka (Dhaka) is beating the publicity drums again, with CEO Molla Fazle Akbar telling local news outlets that he wants to start ops by November using ATR72-600s. "We are all set to spread the wings of Fly Dhaka as a new airline by November this year," he told Dhaka's Daily Star this week, even though the AOC is still lacking. However, the start-up elaborated via a statement that it is "actively addressing various pertinent matters related to the acquisition of the AOC." It has also started advertising for ATR captains, first officers, maintenance engineers, and other roles. The initial plan is to operate the ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops on domestic sectors before acquiring Boeing and Airbus aircraft for "global operations." Bangladeshi regulations restrict start-ups to domestic sectors only for two years before they can apply to expand into international ops. "Our aim is not only to establish a robust presence in the domestic market but also to extend our reach to the global arena," this week's statement reads. "Towards this end, negotiations with a giant Asian airline are already underway."<br/>