Royal Bengal Airline

Royal Bengal Airline
IATA ICAO Call sign
4A RRY ROYAL BENGAL
Founded30 May 2006 (2006-05-30)
United Kingdom
Commenced operations31 January 2008 (2008-01-31)
Ceased operations2009
HubsDhaka
Fleet size1
Destinations4
Parent companyAviana Airways Ltd
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom

Aviana Airways Ltd operating as Royal Bengal Airline was[1] a short-lived airline that operated domestic flights in Bangladesh. The carrier, headquartered in London, was wholly owned by R B Airline UK Ltd.[2]

History

Royal Bengal Airlines was founded by members of Britain's Bangladeshi businessmen in June 2006 and officially launched to the public in November 2006.[3] It was the first airline to be owned and run by British-born Bangladeshis from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh and planned to operate long haul routes between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh with stopovers in the Middle East. The airline was founded on the basis of providing direct flights to Osmani International Airport in Sylhet from the United Kingdom.[4][5] However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh did not confirm that Royal Bengal Airlines or any other airline was given access to this route.[citation needed]

By June 2007, the airline had raised GBP£5.5 million of investment from local businesses and stock brokers and had purchased two Dash 8-100 aircraft.[6] Domestic services were expected to commence during summer 2007 with international flights from the UK expected by the end of 2007 from London Stansted, Manchester and Birmingham airports.[7]

The airline officially launched commercial operations on 31 January 2008, however it shut down the year after.[1]

Destinations

Royal Bengal Airline Bombardier Dash 8-100

Royal Bengal Airline initially operated three domestic scheduled services a day, between Dhaka and Chittagong and between Dhaka and Sylhet.[8] By September 2009, the service between Dhaka and Cox's Bazar had been added.[9]

Fleet

Royal Bengal Airline operated the following aircraft:[2]

References

  1. ^ a b ch-aviation.com – Royal Bengal Airline retrieved 20 September 2016
  2. ^ a b "Bangladesh gets fourth private passenger airline". The Economic Times. 13 October 2007.
  3. ^ "Flight Plan". The Sunday Times. London. 4 March 2007. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007.
  4. ^ "Royal Bengal Airlines plans routes to Dhaka". CheapFlights. 23 February 2007. Archived from the original on 26 February 2007.
  5. ^ "British Bangladeshis launch Manchester to Dhaka link". The Asian News. Guardian Media Group. 22 February 2007. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008.
  6. ^ "Flying high to Dhaka". BBC News. 2 June 2007.
  7. ^ "Royal Bengal Airlines plans flights to Dhaka from Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester". UK Airport News. 24 February 2007. Archived from the original on 20 March 2007.
  8. ^ "Fourth private airline takes off". The Daily Star. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  9. ^ Leung, Mikey; Meggitt, Belinda (21 September 2009). Bangladesh (First ed.). Bradt Travel Guides. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-84162-293-4.