DHAKA, April 5, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today extended ongoing ban on
flight operation till April 14 to and from all European countries and the
nations that restricted the entry of Bangladeshis to their territories
earlier as well as on all domestic routes over the coronavirus fear.
“The existing flight suspension period both on international and domestic
routes has been extended till April 14,” Senior Secretary of Civil Aviation
and Tourism Md Mohibul Haque told BSS.
He cleared that this extension of banning will be applicable only to the
routes suspended earlier. “The flight operation on currently operative routes
as well as the special and scheduled cargo flight operation will be
continuing,” Haque added.
Currently, flights are being operated from Bangladesh to only China.
Meanwhile in a circular, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) said
the commercial scheduled flights will be suspended till April 14 to and from
16 countries – Bahrain, Bhutan, Hongkong, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and
the UK.
Along with that, it said, all domestic flights will be suspended till April
14 as well while special and scheduled cargo flights will be continuing.
Though there was no flight restriction earlier between Bangladesh and the
UK, Biman Bangladesh airlines, the lone carrier that operates flights to the
UK from Dhaka, had suspended its London and Manchester flights from April 1.
Biman Managing Director and CEO Mokabbir Hossain today said the national
flag carrier would continue the suspension of its flight operations on all 17
international routes as well as on the domestic routes till April 14 in line
with the government’s decision.
This is the second time Bangladesh extended flight suspension period as
the government earlier extended it from March 31 to April 7 while the ban on
some international flights first began on March 16 after Bangladesh
restricted entry of traveler’s from all European countries except the UK.
On March 21, the CAAB imposed a ban on commercial flight operation to and
from 10 overseas countries – Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE,
Turkey, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore and India.
On March 25, the government imposed a ban on all domestic flight operation
to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.