Biman to resume Dhaka-New York flights soon

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has taken all preparations to resume direct flights on Dhaka-New York route soon, State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali has said.

The state minister said this while speaking at an event organised by Biman and Bangladesh High Commission in Canada, on the occasion of experimental flight of Dhaka-Toronto route at Marriott Hotel in Toronto on Sunday.

He said: "We have come a long way to resume direct flights on the Dhaka-New York–Dhaka route."

Besides, he said, the national flag carrier's flights to Japan's Narita, Sydney, Male, and Guangzhou will be launched too, the civil aviation ministry said in a press release.

The junior minister said Biman Bangladesh Airlines will procure state-of-the-art aircraft like other countries.

"Operating flights to Canada was our prestige issue," he said. "Many big countries of the world did not get slots to fly to Toronto. It is a matter of pride that we have got it," he added.

The Dhaka-Toronto flights will be operated thrice a week from next June, he added.

About enhancing the country's airports' facilities, he said that the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be inaugurated by mid-September, 2023. "It will be of international standard and will provide services like airports in big countries including Heathrow Airport."

The runway of Osmani International Airport in Sylhet has also been extended and work on a new international airport is underway, said the state minister, adding that Cox's Bazar Airport is being developed to international standards, to promote global tourism.

"We have brought some reforms in Biman. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have also earned Tk 273 crore even after paying off the debts of 2019," the state minister said.

Meanwhile, RAM Ubaidul Moktadir Chowdhury, chief of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Civil Aviation, said the launch of Biman's Toronto flights will further enhance the friendly relations between the two countries.

Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the Dhaka-Toronto flights will be beneficial to Bangladeshi businessmen, students, and expatriates.

Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, managing director and CEO of Biman, also spoke at the event.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and Bangladesh High Commission in Canada, were also present, among others.