Three weeks after receiving its air operator's certificate, Air Astra (2A, Dhaka) commenced revenue passenger operations on Thursday, November 24, with its first scheduled flight from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar that morning.

Air Astra becomes Bangladesh's fourth passenger airline and the first new entrant into the market since US-Bangla Airlines (BS, Dhaka) made its 2013 flying debut. Air Astra will initially fly the Dhaka - Cox's Bazaar route three times and day and the Dhaka - Chittagong route twice-daily using a pair of leased ATR72-600s. ADS-B data indicates S2-STB (msn 1352) operated the first revenue flight and flew four sectors on the first day of operations while S2-STC (msn 1371) commenced flights later in the day and went on to fly six sectors.

Dhaka-based media are reporting this week that Air Astra expects to receive another two ATR72-600s by the end of the year. The airline's website indicates that they plan to also start flying daily roundtrips to Saidpur, Sylhet, and Chittagong.

"We are determined to establish ourselves as the most preferred and reliable airline for travellers through the safe operation of flights and punctuality," CEO Imran Asif recently told The Business Standard. "We would like to make our fares affordable, meaning we will not try to maximise revenue at the cost of passenger's convenience."