Economic Reporter :
The air connectivity is going to resume tomorrow with 24 daily roundtrip flights on three internal routes from and to the capital after more than a two-month suspension for containing outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the 24 daily flights, 11 will be operated on Dhaka-Chattogram-Dhaka, nine on Dhaka-Syedpur-Dhaka and four on Dhaka-Sylhet-Dhaka routes.
The national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Novoair each will operate seven flights daily while US-Bangla will conduct 10 daily flights on three routes, airlines official sources said.
“We will operate morning and evening flights to Chattogram and Sylhet and three flights to Syedpur daily from June 1 by our Dash aircraft,” Biman’s Deputy General Manager Tahera Khandoker told.
US-Bangla Airlines General Manager Kamrul Islam said they have a plan to operate six daily flights to port city Chattogram while three to Syedpur and one to Sylhet.
Novoair head of sales and marketing Mesbahul Islam said they would operate three flights to each Chattogram and Syedpur and one flight to Sylhet daily.
The airlines officials said they have already taken all preparations to resume domestic flight operations following the CAAB prescribed health guideline including disinfecting the aircraft before boarding passenger every time.
On Thursday, the government decided to resume domestic flight operations on a limited scale initially on Dhaka- Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Syedpur routes from June 1 while the ongoing international flight suspension will be enforced till June 15. Meanwhile, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali urged all intending passengers to strictly follow health regulations and social distancing while travelling by air from tomorrow as he visited HSIA to inspect the preparation on Saturday.
“We have taken all preparations at the airports so that people can avail of the flights maintaining social distancing and other health code to protect themselves from coronavirus,” he said after visiting the airport.
Civil Aviation and Tourism secretary M Mohibul Haque said that the preparation at the airports to resume flight operations following health guidelines had been seen satisfactory and they would consider reopening flights on all the seven domestic destinations, including Jashore and Rajshahi, after June 15.
