Alongside its helicopter business, MGH Group is planning to enter both passenger and cargo airline operations under the name “Fly Falcon.” As part of the approval process, senior officials from the airline have already held meetings with the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

According to CAAB sources, a new company named Air Falcon Bangladesh Limited has been formed jointly by Bangladesh’s logistics giant MGH Group and the UAE-based International Business Company (FZE). The airline plans to operate both passenger and cargo flights under the brand Fly Falcon. MGH Group will hold 51% ownership, while 49% will be invested by FZE, which is owned by the Ruler of Sharjah, UAE. The group also owns Air Arabia, one of the region’s leading airlines.

A senior CAAB official, requesting anonymity, told Dhaka Post that Fly Falcon has submitted a Letter of Intent (LoI) to the authority’s Flight Standards and Regulations Division. As part of the application process, representatives from Fly Falcon held a pre-application meeting with CAAB officials. MGH Group’s Chairman and CEO, Anis Ahmed, attended the meeting and will serve as the Chairman of Fly Falcon. Also present was Adel Abdullah Mohammed Ali, Managing Director of FZE, the foreign partner.

The CAAB official added that Fly Falcon is currently at an initial stage. Following the pre-application meeting, the airline plans to begin its formal application process based on CAAB’s observations and recommendations.

Currently, Bangladesh has four active airlines — the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines and three private carriers: Novoair, US-Bangla Airlines, and Air Astra. Among them, Air Astra was the most recent to launch commercial operations in 2022. If approved, Fly Falcon would become the next potential airline in Bangladesh, introducing new competition in both passenger and cargo segments.

Previously, Fly Dhaka had received approval as the country’s 12th private airline but failed to begin operations. The airline was owned by Anisul Islam Mahmud, a former Member of Parliament and a leader of a faction of the Jatiya Party.

Fly Dhaka had aimed to launch in November 2024 but never took off. Over the past 25 years, at least eight private airlines in Bangladesh have shut down operations due to financial challenges. The most recent closure was Regent Airways, which ceased operations in 2022.