Domestic flights resume operations after two-month suspension

Domestic flights operation resumed on Monday on Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Saidpur routes on a limited scale after more than two months of suspension amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While talking to news agency UNB, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Senior Secretary Mohibul Haque said that some flights have been cancelled due to lack of passengers. These flights will be operated when there will be enough passengers, he added.

He said all measures have been taken at the airports to ensure health safety of passengers of domestic flights.

“I request all passengers to follow proper hygiene rules and ensure social distance while traveling by air.”

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mofidur Rahman said that flights on the rest of the routes will resume in phases.

“We are monitoring whether the passengers and the airlines are following all the hygiene rules and other instructions,” he said.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Mokabbir Hossain said, "We have started flights from today. We will operate 2 flights in the morning and 2 in the afternoon on these three routes.”

There were eight passengers for travelling to Saidpur and 20 passengers for Dhaka on Dhaka-Saidpur route in the morning. As there was no passenger on Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chattogram routes Biman did not operate any flight, he said.

US Bangla Airlines GM (PR) Kamrul Islam told UNB that from today they will operate six flights on Dhaka-Chattogram route, one on Dhaka-Sylhet route and 3 on Dhaka-Saidpur route.

"We are transporting maximum of 65 percent passengers as per the instructions of CAAB,” he added.

AKM Mahfuzul Alam, senior manager (marketing and sales) of Novoair said that they will operate total 14 flights on these routes.

The ongoing ban on flight operations on international routes will continue till June 15 to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, according to CAAB sources.