Private carrier US-Bangla Airlines launched its first-ever flight to Abu Dhabi on Friday marking the third UAE destination served by one of the country`s leading airlines.

This initiative will fulfil the growing demand of Bangladeshi expatriates living and working in Abu Dhabi.

The private carrier will operate flights from Dhaka to Abu Dhabi every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and from Chattogram every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 5.50 pm. It will land at 9:10 pm local time in Abu Dhabi, according to a press release.

Return flights will depart Abu Dhabi at 10:00 pm local time, landing in Dhaka`s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:50 am every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and Chattogram every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.

The inaugural flight, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 174 passengers, departed Chattogram at 5:50 pm and is scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi at 9: 10pm local time. And will fly to Dhaka at 10:10 PM local time from Abu Dhabi and land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:50 am BdST, reads the release.

The decision to operate US-Bangla flights to Abu Dhabi will further strengthen the ties between the two countries. Senior US-Bangla officials personally bid farewell to passengers on the inaugural flights from Dhaka and Chattogram.

Apart from international routes, US-Bangla Airlines is operating domestic flights, especially from Dhaka to Cox`s Bazar, Chattogram, Sylhet, Saidpur, Jashore and Rajshahi.

With the addition of four new flights on the Dhaka-Chennai route, US-Bangla has increased its weekly flight frequency to a total of 11 starting on Friday (April 19), it added.