A Bangladeshi regional airline set up in 2007 with investment from the Tusuka Group, it began operations in January 2013 with Embraer ERJ-145 jets and later moved to an ATR 72-500 turboprop fleet, operating eight domestic points from its single Dhaka hub and flying Dhaka to Kolkata internationally between 2015 and 2024. For Chinese shippers Novoair has no China route and no own office, and its useful role is domestic onward carriage after arrival in Dhaka, moving cargo from Dhaka to ports and industrial cities such as Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox's Bazar on its short-haul capacity.
Chinese-language service provider: Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited, handling booking, customs declaration and end-to-end logistics for international air freight, on routes from China to the United States and all major continents.
Novoair (IATA VQ, ICAO NVQ, callsign NOVOAIR) is a Bangladeshi regional airline, set up in October 2007 with investment from the textile and garment group Tusuka, starting as an aviation services provider and applying for a scheduled flight licence at the end of 2011. On 9 January 2013 it began commercial operations with two Embraer ERJ-145 jets, becoming the first Bangladeshi airline to operate the type; in July that year it launched the Smiles frequent flyer program, the first in Bangladeshi aviation aimed at domestic routes. On 1 December 2015 it opened the Dhaka to Kolkata international route and entered the international market.
The airline has concentrated on the domestic market, with Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as its only hub and services to Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet, Jessore, Saidpur, Rajshahi and Barisal, running among the highest daily frequencies in the domestic regional market. As of 2025 the registered fleet is five ATR 72-500 turboprops, the early ERJ-145 jets have left the fleet, and in January 2024 the airline sold two ATR 72-500s to Yeti Airlines of Nepal in response to weaker domestic demand.
For the China market the airline has no publicly listed scheduled cargo flight, China office or published capacity. Novoair operates no freighters; capacity comes from passenger belly holds and is deployed entirely on Bangladeshi domestic and South Asian regional sectors. Its practical value for Chinese shippers is the onward leg inside Bangladesh: cargo that reaches Dhaka on another carrier can move on Novoair's domestic network to port cities and industrial clusters such as Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox's Bazar, cutting road transit. Such connections must be confirmed shipment by shipment by the forwarder for available space and handling deadlines.
| Airline | Novoair |
| Company type | Private regional airline (belly cargo) |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Global headquarters | Dhaka |
| Hub airport | Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka (DAC) |
| Founded | Founded October 2007, first flight January 2013 |
| IATA two-letter code | VQ |
| ICAO three-letter code | NVQ |
| Air waybill prefix | No public recordNot disclosed |
| Official lookup website | www.flynovoair.com |
| Fleet size | 5 aircraft (ATR 72-500, planned for sale and replacement) |
| Cargo aircraft | No freighters; cargo carried in passenger belly holds |
| China services | No scheduled services and no China officeNone available |
The information above is compiled from public sources. The fleet and routes are being adjusted; the registered types and available routes follow the carrier's latest published information.
Eight domestic points served from Dhaka as the only hub, with short sectors and dense frequencies, making it one of the main carriers for domestic distribution in Bangladesh.
The ATR 72-500 turboprop has low runway requirements and can use small and medium airports where large jets cannot easily operate, suited to distribution to ports and industrial cities.
Capacity comes from passenger belly holds, with a limited volume per flight, suited to documents, samples and spare parts but not to bulk heavy cargo.
The airline has stated publicly that it plans to sell its current aircraft and move to international markets, so fleet and routes may change and available capacity must be confirmed per shipment.
Capacity note: Novoair owns no freighters and operates no route originating in China. To use its domestic capacity, cargo must already have reached Dhaka on another carrier and cleared import; the domestic leg is carriage inside Bangladesh and must follow local civil aviation and customs rules for domestic transfer, with acceptance confirmed by the carrier per shipment.
The operating fleet consists of ATR 72-500 turboprops. The ATR 72 family was developed by ATR, the French-Italian joint venture, and is one of the most widely used turboprops in regional markets, seating around 70 passengers; the twin-turboprop layout gives good fuel efficiency and take-off and landing performance, with a minimum take-off runway of about 1,400 m, which allows operation at most small and medium Bangladeshi airports. Turboprops cruise slower than jets, but short, high-frequency domestic sectors are exactly where their economics work best, which is why Novoair has long used the type on its domestic network. The ERJ-145 flown earlier was a 50-seat regional jet and the main type at the 2013 launch, since withdrawn.
| Aircraft type | Status | Number | Notes on cargo operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-500 | In fleet | 5 aircraft | Turboprop regional aircraft with limited belly volume, able to take small and urgent pieces |
| ATR 72-500 | Sold | 2 aircraft | Sold to Yeti Airlines of Nepal in January 2024 |
| ERJ-145 | Retired | — | Launch type of 2013, 50-seat regional jet |
Fleet information is compiled from public sources. Aircraft numbers and types are in transition; the types actually flown follow the carrier's latest published information.
| Aircraft category | Twin-turboprop regional airliner (built by ATR) |
| Standard seating | Around 70 passengers |
| Longest sector | Suited to short sectors within 350 nautical miles |
| Minimum takeoff runway | About 1,400 m, suited to small and medium airports |
| Loading method | Loose loaded in the belly; charged by weight and volume |
| Cargo limits | Belly volume is small, so no oversized items, heavy cargo or full pallets |
The chart shows published reference flight times from Dhaka to the main domestic points, used to estimate domestic transfer times. Actual flight time varies with weather, routing and airport congestion; at booking, the carrier's published schedule prevails.
There is no public information indicating that Novoair serves any airport or operates scheduled flights in ChinaNone available. Cargo from China first has to reach Dhaka with another carrier before the domestic sector can be assessed.
From Dhaka it serves Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet, Jessore, Saidpur, Rajshahi and Barisal, covering the main ports and industrial cities.
Opened the Dhaka to Kolkata international route in December 2015; the route has been suspended since 2024Suspended.
| Destinations | Airport | Type | Value for connecting China cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka | Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) | Hub | Transfer point between international arrivals and domestic onward transport |
| Chittagong | Shah Amanat International Airport (CGP) | Domestic destinations, some also international | Bangladesh's second city and largest port, home to garment and ship-breaking industries |
| Sylhet | Osmani International Airport (ZYL) | Domestic destinations, some also international | Tea and natural gas region in the north-east, home to a large British-Bangladeshi community |
| Cox's Bazar | Cox's Bazar Airport (CXB) | Domestic destinations | A tourism and fishing city in the southeast; the airport is being expanded to international status |
| Jessore | Jessore Airport (JSR) | Domestic destinations | Agricultural and light industry area in the south-west |
| Saidpur | Saidpur Airport (SPD) | Domestic destinations | Northern industrial area that hosts part of the garment capacity |
| Rajshahi | Shah Makhdum Airport (RJH) | Domestic destinations | Main city of the north-west |
| Barisal | Barisal Airport (BZL) | Domestic destinations | Coastal city in the south |
Point and airport information is compiled from public sources. Specific domestic frequencies and times are not listed individually and follow the carrier's current season timetable; schedules follow the season and confirmation rests with the carrier on the day of booking.
For cargo originating in China, Novoair offers no direct international cargo service. The China to Bangladesh mainline must be flown by another carrier and Novoair can only take part beyond Dhaka. That division limits its reach to Bangladesh itself; it cannot carry cargo directly to a third country.
Operational note:For the China to Bangladesh mainline we can book scheduled capacity from gateways such as Guangzhou and connect to domestic delivery at Dhaka; for the Middle East, Europe or the United States we recommend a carrier according to cargo type and quote for the whole movement. Whether the domestic leg can take the cargo, and at what weight and dimensions, must be confirmed with the carrier by us per shipment at booking.
| Official website | www.flynovoair.com (includes business contact channels) |
| Head office | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Hub | Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka |
| China office | No directly owned office in China is publicly listedNone available For bookings, contact its local agent in China, or ask us to coordinate on your behalf |
| Air waybill prefix | No public recordNot disclosed Subject to the air waybill actually issued |
Note: the fleet and routes are in transition, so the forwarder should verify the latest operating status and available capacity before booking.
Novoair has no office in China and its business is handled through agents and local channels. Giving domestic transfer to a forwarder that knows the Bangladeshi market cuts communication cost and landing risk, mainly in the following ways:
Chittagong is Bangladesh's largest port and garment manufacturing center, and Sylhet and Cox's Bazar are regional centers. Using the domestic air leg after landing in Dhaka avoids the time and damage risk of long road hauls.
The ATR 72-500 can use small and medium airports with limited runways, which makes air distribution possible to Saidpur, Jessore, Rajshahi and Barisal, points large jets struggle to cover.
Domestic sectors are short and relatively frequent, so cargo cleared in Dhaka usually reaches the destination city the same or next day, which suits small lots with tight deadlines.
Belly capacity is limited and the fleet is changing, so bulk heavy and outsized cargo does not suit this capacity. Such cargo should go by road or with a carrier that has freighter capacity.
The China to Bangladesh mainline must be flown by another carrier, and the domestic leg is only one part of the overall plan and cannot stand alone. We cost the mainline and domestic timings together when designing the plan.
The airline plans to sell its current aircraft and move to international markets, so fleet size and routes may change. We prepare alternative capacity in parallel so that a dispatch plan is not disrupted by one carrier's adjustment.
The airline sold two ATR 72-500s to Yeti Airlines of Nepal in January 2024, said publicly in June 2024 that it planned to convert the fleet to international routes only, and briefly suspended flights in May 2025 to sell aircraft before resuming the same month. Those moves show capacity supply fluctuating over time. Shippers planning to use its domestic capacity should prepare a backup before dispatch so that a last-minute cancellation does not affect the overall delivery date.
In July 2013 Novoair launched Smiles, the first frequent flyer program on Bangladeshi domestic routes, and was early to introduce paperless services such as electronic tickets and mobile boarding passes. It was named best domestic airline by The Bangladesh Monitor in 2014 and 2019 and took that publication's best on-time performance award in 2022 and 2023. As of its published disclosure it has operated more than 100,000 flights and carried about 7.5 million passengers.
Cargo cleared for import in Dhaka and moved on the domestic sector needs complete import release documents and domestic transfer papers. The commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and any import permit have to match the goods, and the consignee details have to match its local trading qualifications. Mismatched documents are the main reason cargo sits in the terminal, so we pre-check documents before departure and keep an operator in Dhaka following the release.
For cargo where the deadline comes first we can recommend belly space on the daily nonstop China to Dhaka flights; for full lots where cost matters we can recommend widebody belly capacity on a flag carrier; for destinations outside Bangladesh we match the carrier to South Asia, the Middle East, Europe or the United States. Novoair's domestic capacity is best used as a last-leg supplement rather than the backbone of a movement.
Novoair is a private Bangladeshi regional airline, set up in 2007 with investment from the Tusuka Group and starting flights in January 2013, with headquarters and hub in Dhaka; it operates scheduled domestic passenger service and carries cargo in passenger belly holds. Its IATA two-letter code is VQ and ICAO three-letter code NVQ.
No published source shows the company serving an airport in China or keeping its own office thereNone available. The mainline from China to Bangladesh has to be carried by another operator; this airline's domestic capacity can supplement the leg beyond Dhaka.
As of 2025 the fleet is five ATR 72-500 turboprops, the earlier ERJ-145 regional jets are retired, and two further ATR 72-500s were sold in January 2024. Types and numbers are in transition; the carrier's latest published information prevails.
The route opened in December 2015 and has been suspended since 2024, with no public information on a resumption date.SuspendedFor cargo to India we can offer options on other carriers.
Documents, samples, spare parts, small high-value lots and orders with tight deadlines fit well. Bulk heavy cargo, oversized items and full pallets do not, because of belly volume limits; use road haulage or a carrier with freighter capacity instead.
Not applicable. Novoair's network is domestic Bangladesh plus the former Kolkata service, and Europe and North America are outside its range. For China to the United States and Europe we book the main carrier on the relevant route and quote the whole movement.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited is based in Shenzhen, China, and specializes in international air cargo from China to the United States and other major markets. We book scheduled capacity from China to Bangladesh and arrange clearance, delivery and domestic transfer in Dhaka, covering quoting, export declaration, air carriage, clearance and delivery; ask us for routings and rates.
Disclaimer:Prepared by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight). Airline names, codes, trademarks and brand marks mentioned here belong to their respective owners. We are an independent international freight forwarder and have no affiliation, agency or investment relationship with this airline. The information is compiled from public sources for reference only and does not form a contract of carriage or a service commitment. Space, rates and schedules are subject to actual confirmation by the carrier or its authorized agent on the day of booking.