Two new foreign airlines to start operations in Bangladesh from May

Two new foreign airlines - Ethiopia Airlines and Air China – are set to start flight operations from Bangladesh next month.

The Ethiopian Airlines will operate flights between Addis Ababa and Dhaka and Chinese state-owned Air China is set to establish direct Beijing-Dhaka-Beijing flight for the first time, according to BSS.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman on Saturday said they have started preparation to facilitate operations of two new foreign airlines.

"We have started taking our preparation to facilitate Ethiopian Airlines and Air China to operate flights from next month as part of our goal to turn Bangladesh into an aviation hub," he said.

The CAAB has already sent a letter to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry in this regard and informed Biman Bangladesh Airlines to facilitate ground-handling services.

Sources said the Addis Ababa-Dhaka-Addis Ababa direct flight will begin in the third week of May. Initially, Ethiopian Airlines will operate five flights in a week.

On December 6, civil aviation authorities of Ethiopia and Bangladesh signed the air service agreement after a series of consultations.

Meanwhile, Air China has decided to operate two weekly flights on the Dhaka-Beijing-Dhaka route. Currently, Dhaka has direct flights to two Chinese cities, Kunming and Guangzhou.