Bangladesh resumes flight operations on int’l routes

Flight operations on international routes from Bangladesh resumed on Tuesday after a suspension of more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“International flights resumed today,” Group Captain AHM Towhidul Ahsan, Director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), told news agency UNB.

A flight of Qatar Airways left Dhaka at 2:00am, he said adding that another flight from Doha arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 3:00am.

Tahera Khandaker, Director General Manager (PR), Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said a Biman flight will leave Dhaka for London once a week (Sunday). A flight for London will leave Dhaka on June 21 next, he added.

Earlier on June 11, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshall Muhammad Mafidur Rahman, said flight operations on international routes from Bangladesh will resume on June 16.

Flights on all routes will resume gradually, said Rahman adding “We need permission from the countries concerned to start air connectivity.”

Earlier on June 1, Civil Aviation authority permitted operation of all domestic flights maintaining social distancing and following health guidelines.

The domestic flights on Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Syedpur routes then resumed on a limited scale.

However, the shortage of passengers forced Biman Bangladesh Airlines to cancel some of its flights on the three domestic routes.