Helicopter transportation business in crisis
Staff Reporter :
The country’s private helicopter transportation business is facing crisis for charging extra hanger fare by Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
The private helicopter operators’ organization said CAAB is demanding extra fare for hanger which is illogical and also difficult to continue the air transportation business.
Recently CAAB has declared new fare for using hanger of private helicopter transportation business. In new announcement, CAAB has fixed Tk40 for per square feet in first year and Tk48 for second year. From 2024, the fare will be at Tk80 for per square feet. Private helicopter transportation related businessmen claimed that new fare rate put them into extinct to run the business.
The country’s private helicopter transportation operators are using Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s (HSIA) east side hanger to keep their helicopter for long time. After the inauguration of building activities of HSIA’s third terminal, they have been transferedc to runway-14 east side. They did not paid hanger fare since the staring use of it. Now CAAB is demanding fare.
Over the issue, south Asian airlines flight operation chief captain Gulzer Hossain said CAAB has assured us to transfer new heliport to Kaola area. They have provided new hanger for temporary use for two years. Now they are demanding previous two years fare also.
He said we have two paid Tk22 lakh to Tk24 lakh for using hanger per month. Next year it will be Tk44 lakh. Small businessmen those who have few helicopter will face difficulties to continue their business.
Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, Chairman, CAAB said we have fixed the hanger fare price by discounting. Even, we did not charge any fare from them for first six month.
“There is an airport lease policy (2013) where is being said that Tk80 will be charged for non-ac hanger and Tk120 for ac hanger per square feet. But we have charge less comparing the policy.”
We have fixed the price considering the private helicopter transportation organization capacity, he added.
It is to be mentioned that South Asian Airlines started commercially private helicopter transportation service in 1999 in the country.
According to Aviation Operators Association of Bangladesh (AOAB) there are 32 private helicopters owned by 10 companies in the country. The companies are BCL Aviation, Impress Aviation, R and R Aviation, Square Air Ltd, Meghna Aviation, Bashundara Airways, BRB Air, Aero Technologies, South Asian Airlines and Bangla International Airlines.
