Bangladesh today extended ban on flight operation till Apr 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 media.
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 Apr 14 to and from 16 countries – Bahrain, Bhutan, Hongkong, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, U.A.E., and the U.K.
Along with that, it said, all domestic flights will be suspended till Apr 14 as well while special and scheduled cargo flights will be continuing.
Though there was no flight restriction between Bangladesh and the U.K., Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the lone carrier that operates flights to the U.K. from Dhaka, had suspended its London and Manchester flights from Apr 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 Apr 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 Mar 31 to Apr 7 while the ban on some international flights first began on Mar 16 after Bangladesh restricted entry of traveler’s from all European countries except the U.K.
On Mar 21, the CAAB imposed a ban on commercial flight operation to and from 10 overseas countries – Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Turkey, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore and India.
On Mar 25, the government imposed a ban on all domestic flight operation to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.
