Regent Airways will compete with on time performance, optimised customer service
_A Monitor Report
Dhaka : Regent Airways, the newest player in country's aviation sector, plans to compete with on time performance and providing optimised customer service and not on fares.
"The aviation cake is big enough and all three of us can have a good bite and increase our market share. The current fares are competitive," said Mashruf Habib, Managing Director, Regent Airways.
"We are business people, flying to and from Chittagong on most of the working days. We know the value of time. If there is only one passenger, we'll fly," he said, adding "I've been a passenger for 22 years; still I am a passenger and will always be a passenger."
"It's tough to get Dhaka-Chittagong air ticket. I've seen people waiting to fly even after delays by airlines," he added.
Mashruf Habib is the grandson of Habibullah Mia, who founded Habib Group some 62 years ago. HG Aviation Limited of the Chittagong-based group, renowned for garments, power, ship breaking, steel, paper and fertiliser, is the mother organisation of Regent Air.
The airline opened office at Uttara in the city only in February this year and plans to start operations by August with two Dash-8-Q300s, to become the fastest start-up airline in the country.
The airline has already taken offices at Gulshan and Moti-jheel in the city, Chittagong, Jessore and Khulna.
The two 50-seater aircrafts, made in 1998 and 2000 and operated by a Lufthansa subsidiary, was an outright purchase, "at a good price" while two Boeing B757 aircraft to be procured by November or December this year will be on dry lease.
The B757s will be used on regional routes with three to four hours' flight time.
The airline has already started training local pilots. It will do its own ground handling with the Dash-8-Q300s while that of B757 will be done by Biman.
By the twelfth month of the airline's operation, he hopes to have six aircraft flying to eleven destinations. The ratio will help maintain the frequency, he said, adding "I'll go on capacity."
Mashruf Habib sees the domestic market as "promising with huge potential," growing at the rate of 8 to 9 per cent. Chittagong is coming up in a big way and he felt the same about Cox's Bazar.
Regent Airways will start with services to Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet and Jessore. Syedpur and Rajshahi will be connected later with a single flight.
Regent Airways is already a member of BSP of IATA to optimise revenues and weblink of DTX of France to make its tickets accessible to passengers online. "Their solutions are perfect for small to medium airlines," Mashruf Habib said.
The airline has taken 5 lakh square feet of space, besides MAF Hangar at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to develop MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility to accommodate up to six wide-body aircraft at a time.
The MRO facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art maintenance technologies to handle up to D-Checks. "It's a US$48 billion industry. Market dem-and for hangar space is huge," he said.
The airline on board will provide "real food," not foodstuff packaged by someone else. "We won't be a low cost carrier," he said.
The airline will give attention to customers as well as (attention) to details like food, beverages, their packaging. "We will want our customers to fly with us again and again. We'll create a loyalty base. We'll have our own frequent flyer programme," he said.
Mashruf Habib, who studied Management and Finance in Los Angeles, hopes he will be successful. "We have got a very experienced team."
