JOSHORE & SYEDPUR, Sept 30, 2021 (BSS) - State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali today said the Joshore airport will be upgraded as international standard gradually like the country's other domestic airports to give a boost in regional connectivity.

  "As per directives of Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we are working relentlessly to upgrade our domestic airports into international standard ... and in line with that the Joshore airport will be upgraded in future," he said as air connectivity between Joshore and Kolkata has been a long demanding issue of this region.

  The minister made the remark while inaugurating the first ever Joshore to Chattogram direct flight operated by the private carrier US-Bangla Airlines.

   The state minister said under the supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the country's aviation sector is growing fast and it is expected that the sector will grow three-fold in next 15 years.

   US-Bangla Airlines today became part of the country's aviation history by establishing direct air connectivity between southwestern Joshore and Chattogram as well as northwestern Syedpur and the port city without via Dhaka.

  After inaugurating the Jashore-Chattogram flight, the state minister flew to Syedpur airport to attend the opening ceremony of Syedpur-Chattogram flight. In Syedpur, the state minister said, the government has taken a plan to turn the Syedpur domestic airport as a regional aviation hub to further expedite the development of the northern part of Bangladesh.

   US-Bangla Airlines Managing Director Md Abdullah Al Mamun presided over both the ceremony where local member of parliament and people representatives were present.

   The US-Bangla airline is also scheduled to add another new flying route on Jashore-Cox's Bazar route from 1st October 2021. To meet up the demand of the greater Jashore air travelers, initially, the airliner will operate three flights weekly- Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday on the Jashore-Chattogram route.

   On the other hand, US-Bangla also added three flights- Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday to the business capital Chattogram from Syedpur, the only airport in the northern part of the country.

   The private airliner expanded its domestic routes, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence of Bangladesh and the Birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahma.

   The airlines Managing director said the carrier has taken a plan to add 16 more aircraft to its fleet for spreading its wings to more international routes covering entire middle eastern and some European destinations.

   The US-Bangla Airlines fleet has a total of 14 aircraft, including four Boeing 737-800, seven brand new ATR 72-600.