Bangladesh-India flights resume today

The flight operation between Bangladesh and India under air bubble arrangement will resume today after a four-month recess due to Covid-19 pandemic.

"The flight operation between Bangladesh and India under air bubble agreement will be resumed from September 5," said Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) in a circular yesterday.

The air bubble agreement will be in effect until the resumption of scheduled international passenger flights between the two countries, it added.

Under the arrangement, the countries' airlines can operate international flights with certain restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines and private airline US-Bangla have already announced their flight schedule to India from today.

Another private airline -- Novoair -- said they will not operate flights to India under the air bubble agreement.

Biman will operate two flights per week on Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka route and two weekly flights on Dhaka-New Delhi-Dhaka destination while US-Bangla airlines will operate three weekly flights on Dhaka-Chennai-Dhaka route.

Three Indian carriers -- Air India, Spice Jet and Indigo -- will also operate flights between Dhaka and New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

Except for individuals with tourist visa, all can travel to India from Bangladesh.

The travellers from Bangladesh must test negative for Covid-19 in a PCR test done earlier than 72 hours of the flight and they have to go to through molecular tests at their own expenses after arriving in Indian airports.

Besides, 10 percent of the seats in the planes have to be left empty.

CAAB also proposed including "Passengers with Business Visa" to facilitate airlines crew members to travel to India for simulator training.

CAAB primarily accepted India's proposal to operate seven flights a week to India by Bangladeshi airline companies, but proposed to double the number.