Air traffic situation improves slowly, thanks to a rise in business and leisure travels and increasing migrant workers.

However the recovery is yet to enable carriers operating from Bangladesh to post positive growth in passenger. But the decline is on a downward curve.

“Air travel demand has improved in the recent months. We witnessed a fall in passenger flow early this year,” said a senior official of national flag carrier Biman.

Airlines' officials said there was an upturn in traffic situation in the last couple of months as signs of recovery from recession contributed to a rise in business and investment confidence.

In the January-June period, the total number of travellers at Zia International Airport stood at 17.03 lakh, down from the average 18.74 lakh in the first half of 2008.

“But the situation turned better in the last couple of months,” said Shaheenuzzaman Khan, general manager of One World Aviation, general sales agent of Air Arabia.

Industry insiders however said returnee migrant workers are contributing much to the gain rather than outbound workers.

International Air Transport Association recently said passenger demand improved in September but cautioned that the industry still remains fragile.

“Travels to Southeast Asian destinations have increased recently,” said an official of Malaysia Airlines.

Officials of Middle East-based carriers such as Emirates and Etihad said they recorded improvement in travellers' flow here since the beginning of the second half.

K Ashraful Kabir, country manager of Etihad Airways, attributed the recovery to a rise in movement of foreign investors to Bangladesh.

“We are optimistic about recovery,” Kabir said.

sohel@thedailstar.net