Britain�s newest airline has been awarded traffic rights to Jeddah. Air Sylhet, headquartered in Birmingham and Vienna, plans to operate three flights a week to the Saudi Arabian city early next year.

The rights were awarded to Air Sylhet at bilateral talks hosted by the Civil Aviation Administration of Saudi Arabia. The talks took place between the Saudi authorities in Jeddah and the Foreign Ministry of Austria.

UK passengers will be able to connect to Air Sylhet�s Vienna � Jeddah service using the airline�s recently announced services from Manchester and London Stansted. The airline also expects to serve Saudi Arabia from Birmingham in the near future.

The talks were hosted by the President of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, Engr. Abdullah MN Rehaimi. The talks secured a new air services agreement between Austria and Saudi Arabia covering traffic rights between Vienna, Jeddah, Rhiyadh and Dammam. Dammam was declared �open skies� permitting unlimited access and, at Air Sylhet�s request, access will be given to Medina at the earliest opportunity.

Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast is the major urban centre of western Saudi Arabia. Nearby Dammam is one of the largest airports in the world.

Air Sylhet was represented at the talks by managing director Kim O�Neil and vice chairman Shab Uddin.

Air Sylhet � created by ex-patriate Bangladeshi businessmen � will fly to Vienna and Dubai from London Stansted and Manchester, starting later this year. Other long haul routes are planned soon.

The airline is taking advantage of a gap in an increasingly tough market by targeting destinations poorly served by other airlines. The company has leased its first aircraft - an Airbus A320-200, which carries 180 passengers.

Shab Uddin, the airline�s vice chairman, said the signing of the new agreement was very significant for the company.

�Air Sylhet has been designated with traffic rights to Jeddah. We have now started the process towards launching our first flights to this very important and prestigious destination. It is expected we will start operations with three flights a week early in the new year. We are grateful to the authorities of both Saudi Arabia and Austria for their great help in making this possible.�

Air Sylhet does not compete with no-frills airlines, but concentrates on a distinct approach of safe, value-driven services which provide consistent, reliable products and fares.

Mr Kabir Khan, the airline�s chairman, said their intention in the medium term was to expand services to include long haul flights to Bangladesh. Air Sylhet will initially fly twice a week from London Stansted to Vienna/Dubai, and once a week from Manchester to the same destinations.

Picture Caption: THE SKY�S THE LIMIT. Air Sylhet general manager Kim O�Neil (left) and vice chairman Shab Uddin (right)with the Saudi Arabian president of the General Authorityfor Civil Aviation, Engr. Abdullah MN Rehaimi.

-ENDS-

Air Sylhet AG is an Austrian airline; the airline is wholly owned and is subsidiary of the Air Sylhet plc. Air Sylhet plc was founded in early 2007 by ex-patriot British Bangladeshi businessman from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The airline is planning to provide flights from November 2008 onwards to Vienna and Dubai from London Stansted and Manchester. Air Sylhet AG obtained its Austrian Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and Air Operators Licence (AOL) on May 29 2008. Formal notice of its AOC and AOL has been published in the Official Journal of The European Union.

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