There will be no restrictions in passenger seating arrangements from tomorrow on domestic routes by air.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) today issued a circular in this regard.

Talking to The Daily Star, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman said due to growing demands of air passengers in domestic routes and as the Covid-19 situation is improving in the country, the decision has been taken to lift restrictions in passenger seating arrangements in the aircraft.

However, the domestic air operators will have to keep at least two consecutive rows from the front/aft on any side (left/right) in economy class and at least one row in business class vacant for the use of Covid-19 suspected passengers, said the CAAB chairman.

He also said, in addition to the existing health and safety measures, operators shall provide face guards to all passengers occupying either on the aisle seat for two seat rows or centre seats in case of three seat rows.

Moreover, operators shall provide face guards to any passengers if s/he demands so for personal safety.

The circular replaces the 25 percent seat vacancy restrictions imposed by CAAB. Earlier, CAAB in its guidelines had said all airlines will have to keep at least 25 percent seats vacant on each flight to ensure social distancing, which is crucial to avoid coronavirus transmission.

In its guidelines, the regulatory authority of the country's civil aviation also asked air operators to keep at least a gap of a seat between two passengers.

"In case a passenger is travelling with a spouse or any other family member, this will not be mandatory," the guidelines added.

The government from March 16 suspended passenger flight operations till June 16 with all countries to contain the transmission of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.

From June 16, flight operations on international routes from Bangladesh resumed on a limited scale after over three months' suspension of flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic.