Air connectivity between the neighboring Bangladesh and India has been restored under ‘air bubble’ arrangement after more than seven months of flight suspension for containment of corona pandemic.
The first resumption flight between the two countries began as a US-Bangla Airlines regular commercial flight from Dhaka to Kolkata took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 9:45am on Wednesday.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman and US-Bangla Airlines CEO Capt Skikdar Meshba Uddin Ahmed were present at the airport to see off the Kolkata bound passengers, said the airline’s spokesperson.
US-Bangla Airlines also operated a Dhaka-Chennai-Dhaka flight at 10:30 am on Wednesday while the national flag carrier Biman will resume its India operation through its New Delhi flight from Thursday.
Apart from Delhi route, Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume its flight to Kolkata and Chennai from November 1 and November 15 respectively, a press release of the airlines said earlier.
The US-Bangla Airlines will operate flight to Kolkata for six days a week except for Monday and to Chennai for four days a week on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, said the airline’s spokesperson.
The Novoair, another local carrier, has taken preparation to reopen its Kolkata flight but the resumption date is yet to be decided, the airlines official added.
