Bangladesh-India Restores Air Connectivity after 7 Months

Air connectivity between neighboring Bangladesh and India has now been restored under the 'air bubble' arrangement after more than seven months of suspension of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first resumption of flights between the two countries began as a scheduled US-Bangla commercial flight from Dhaka to Kolkata took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 9:45 a.m. this morning.  

Indian High Commissioner for 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 passengers bound off Kolkata, the airline spokesperson told media.

The US-Bangladesh airlines also operated Dhaka-Chennai-Dhaka flight at 10:30 am today while the national flag carrier Biman will resume its India operation through its New Delhi flight from tomorrow.

Apart from the Delhi route, Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume its flight to Kolkata and Chennai from 1 and 15 November respectively, according to a press release from the airlines.

The US-Bangla Airlines will operate six days a week to Kolkata, except Monday, and four days a week to Chennai every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the airline spokesperson said.

The Novoair, another local carrier, has taken preparation to reopen its Kolkata flight but the resumption date is yet to be decided, said the airlines official.

Under the air bubble mechanism, air connectivity was restored between only Bangladesh and India where no third country will be involved which means the airlines will not take any transit passengers.

India has already introduced such air bubble with numbers of countries like France, Germany, the UAE and Maldives whereas this is first in its kind for Bangladesh.

As per the air-bubble agreement, three Bangladeshi airlines — Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, and Novo Air — will initially operate 28 flights per week, while five Indian carriers — Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and GoAir — will operate the same number of flights per week.

According to the CAAB, five Indian airlines will operate flights to Delhi-Dhaka-Delhi, Kolkata-Dhaka-Kolkata, Chennai-Dhaka-Chennai and Mumbai-Dhaka-Mumbai.

On 9 October, the Indian High Commission announced the resumption of online visa application services for Bangladeshi people in Bangladesh.

For the time being, visas will be issued in nine categories, including medical, industry, employment, journalists, diplomats, workers, officials, UN officials and UN diplomats, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said.