Ethiopian, Air China to start flying from Dhaka in May
Ethiopian Airlines and Air China are set to start flight operations to and from Dhaka next month while FitsAir, Sri Lanka's low-cost airline, has already started direct flights since Friday.
Nine other foreign carriers have shown interest in operating flights to and from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, which is set to start operations of its iconic third terminal.
Around two crore passengers will be able to use the HSIA following the operation of the third terminal in full swing.
Currently, the airport can handle eight million passengers a year. The number is expected to reach 14 million by 2025 and 24.8 million by 2035, according to aviation insiders.
At the moment, 30 foreign airlines are serving Bangladesh.
Around 160 domestic and international flights, carrying around 40,000 passengers, use the HSIA every day at present.
Aviation experts said Bangladeshi passengers will be benefited as competitiveness among the airlines will increase with the arrival of new airlines in Bangladesh.
"Bangladeshis will be able to fly directly to Ethiopia and other African destinations now at a competitive fare," aviation expert ATM Nazrul Islam said.
He, however, said the capacity of Biman Bangladesh Airlines should be increased at the same time so that Biman can start flights reciprocally.
"Otherwise, foreign airlines will gradually grab the maximum share of our aviation market."
Foreign airlines currently dominate with about 75 percent share of international passengers from Bangladesh while Biman and US-Bangla have the rest.
Kazi Wahidul Alam, a former member of Biman Bangladesh Airlines's board of directors and a prominent aviation expert, said foreign airlines' coming to Bangladesh is definitely a good thing.
"Passengers will have the opportunity to choose the airlines of their choice and the fares will also be competitive. Airlines' service quality will improve, and passengers will be benefitted."
The Ethiopian Airlines is to operate five Addis Ababa-Dhaka flights a week from next month.
Shohag Hossain, managing director of Rhythm Group, Ethiopian's general sales agent in Bangladesh, said the carrier serves 10 destinations in the US, plans to conduct daily flight to Dhaka with its Boeing Dreamliner-787 soon after initiating the commercial flights to Bangladesh.
Chinese state-owned carrier Air China is set to fly twice a week between Beijing and Dhaka. Currently, Dhaka has direct flights to two Chinese cities -- Kunming and Guangzhou.
FitsAir will operate two flights a week on the Dhaka-Colombo route. At present, Sri Lankan Airlines is the only airlines operating direct flights on this route.
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