International flight frequencies blocked by the GMG, that was closed three years ago, have been causing losses to other operating private airlines, reports bdnews24.com.
According to authorities concerned, the flight frequencies held by the closed GMG Airlines cannot be allotted to other private operators.
Despite preparations to fly on international routes, GMG Airlines could not begin operations, thus blocking the flight frequencies allotted to it.
Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB), said it is unable to allot the frequencies to other private airlines because of an ongoing case.
According to the last allotment by the CAAB on May 20 2014, the GMG was given 81 frequencies for 10 routes.
That gave the GMG, which lost its licence in 2012, the sanction to operate 81 flights on 10 international routes per week.
The allotment list showed the CAAB redistributed flight frequencies to five airlines, including the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines, in line with agreements with 16 countries.
Bangladesh has got 61 flight frequencies according to the agreement with India.
Of them, Biman got 11 and United Airways 15.
Regent Airways applied for 14 frequencies but got seven, while Novo Air, a new airlines that got its licence recently, did not get any after applying for 10.
The CAAB said it could not consider the applications of Regent Airways and Novo Air because of 21 flights to India.
Similarly, GMG was allotted three flight frequencies to Singapore, five to Thailand, seven to Malaysia, 21 to the United Arab Emirate, three to Qatar, seven to Oman, seven to Saudi Arabia, three to Bahrain and four to China.
Novo Air applied for 10 flight frequencies to Thailand but got five, while Regent Airways got none, though it had applied for seven to Oman.
Novo Air is yet to start international flights.
Mr Mafizur Rahman, Managing Director of Novo Air, blamed the allotment of flight frequencies to GMG.
"Our primary plan was to operate domestic flights. We were getting prepared in line with that plan. But when we had applied for flights to India, The CAAB said it could not give us any frequency as they had been allotted to the GMG," he said.
Another top private airline official, seeking anonymity, said, "There is no existence an airline named GMG."
"It wants to sell its frequencies to other airlines," he said.
"As a result, the matter got stuck due to a case," he said, adding that Indian airlines were profiting by taking advantage of this opportunity.
The CAAB Director (flight operations and flight safety) SM Nazmul Anam said, "The frequencies allotted to the GMG cannot be distributed to the others, as a GMG petition is being heard in the High Court. The matter would move after the disposal of the case."
No one, including the GMG chairman and the managing director, could be reached for comments.
Authorities unable to allot others due to ongoing case
FE Team | Published: January 02, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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