United Airways concerned over CAAB initiative to sell 8 of their abandoned aircraft

United Airways has expressed concern over the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh's latest initiative to sell eight aircraft of the private air operator abandoned at the Dhaka airport since 2016.

In a letter to CAAB on July 14, Kazi Wahidul Alam, chairman of the newly formed governing body of United Airways earnestly requested the regulatory authority to reach an acceptable solution for the both sides through discussion.

CAAB recently started the process of confiscating 12 aircraft of four private airlines lying abandoned at the cargo village area for two to eight years.

Of the 12 aircraft, United Airways owns eight, Regent Airways two, GMG and Avina airlines have one each.

The cargo village area has apparently turned into a dumping place of these abandoned aircraft which have occupied a large portion, disrupting loading and offloading of goods at the main parking zone, said sources at the airport.

CAAB is owed around Tk 750 crore as outstanding bills from United Airways, GMG, and Regent Airways, said Executive Director, HSIA, Group Captain AHM Touhid-Ul Ahsan.

At least four to five cargo aircraft in the cargo village area could have been accommodated had those abandoned aircraft been removed, Touhid told The Daily Star.

Of the total arrears, CAAB will get around Tk 190 crore from United Airways.

CAAB has formed a four-member high-powered committee with AHM Touhid-Ul Ahsan as its convener to find out ways to float tender for selling these aircraft.

CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman earlier told this correspondent that they have served notice several times to the respective authorities of the aircraft asking them to remove the aircraft from the airport and to pay the outstanding money to CAAB.

"But we didn't get any response from them. That's why we have finally decided to confiscate these aircraft."

In February 2016, United Airways ceased flight operations without any announcement. The airline started flight operations on July 10, 2006 after receiving approval from CAAB in 2005.

Earlier in February, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) took the initiative to revive operations of United Airways.

As part of this, BSEC reorganised the board of directors of the now defunct airlines with Kazi Wahidul Alam, an aviation expert and editor of Bangladesh Monitor, an aviation and tourism based weekly magazine, as its chairman.

Tasbirul Alam Chowdhury has been removed as the head of the board of directors of United Airways, which was listed with the BSEC in 2010. United Airways is a listed company with the BSEC but its transaction is now closed.

United Airways is the first private airline listed with the stock exchange.

United Airways in its letter urged CAAB to allow the airlines' officials and its technical teams to visit the aircraft for technical audit and to take next course of action.

The airlines also said they are hopeful to relocate their aircraft soon.

"We were informed that these airlines are 50 percent capable for flying. That's why we are hopeful that they will be able to fly again following necessary maintenance," the airlines said.

"Besides, real owner of those airlines are around 1.5 lakh shareholders. Different banks have also invested in the airlines who are deeply concerned about the CAAB's initiative for auction of the aircraft," reads the latter.