UK arranges three more special flights from Bangladesh

The British government on Friday announced three more chartered flights from Bangladesh to take back more than 900 British travellers home.

The flights will be operated on May 20, May 26 and May 31 on Dhaka-London route, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), reports UNB.

People who are most vulnerable will be prioritised for seats on the flights, which will bring the total number chartered flights by the UK government from Bangladesh to 12.

Two connecting flights between Sylhet and Dhaka are also taking place on each of the days the flights from Dhaka to London are scheduled for. Given the number of people who have already registered for a flight, the majority of seats are likely to be allocated to people who are already on the waiting lists.

To register for the flights, and for more information, British travellers have been advised to visit the travel advice pages for Bangladesh. They will not need to re-register if they have previously registered for a chartered flight.

Foreign Office Minister of State Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said these three flights will mean more than 900 British nationals can return home, bringing the total number of travellers brought back to the UK from Bangladesh to more than 2,800.

 “This has been a huge logistical challenge and we recognise the difficulties that people have faced and are grateful for the patience and understanding they have shown," he said.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert Chatterton Dickson said they have worked closely with the Government of Bangladesh, airlines and local authorities to help British travellers in Bangladesh return to the UK, focused on helping the most vulnerable people as a priority.

"These new flights will continue to do that, enabling hundreds more British visitors to Bangladesh to get back home," he said.

Since the coronavirus outbreak began, the FCO has worked consistently with governments, air carriers and travel companies to minimise disruption and help British travellers return home safely – supported with £75 million for special charter flights to priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable people.