Dhaka presses for talks on resuming direct flights to USA

The government has urged the United States to initiate talks on a bilateral air services agreement, which would pave the way for Biman Bangladesh Airlines to resume operating direct flights to America.
In response, Washington has assured Dhaka of sitting together within the shortest time possible to finalise the text of the bilateral agreement, officials at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said yesterday.
They said as the number of people of Bangladeshi origin living in the USA is gradually increasing, the resumption of the direct air link has become a need of the time because of their growing movement.
Bangladesh strongly felt and requested the favourable consideration of the USA to finalise the draft bilateral air services agreement, the CAAB said in a statement.
The direct air link between Bangladesh and the USA by Biman Bangladesh Airlines has been suspended since 2006, in the wake of aircraft shortage and huge financial losses.
The issue surfaced when delegations from both the countries met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday on the sidelines of International Civil Aviation Organisation's Air Services Negotiation Conference.
Air Vice Marshal Mahmud Hussain and US Transportations Department Senior Negotiator Brian J Hedberg signed the draft bilateral air services agreement at Jeddah, said the statement.