Six more foreign airlines eyeing to operate flights to Dhaka

Dhaka: Six more foreign airlines – Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways, and two airlines from India – mentioned they are eyeing to operate flights to Dhaka due to favorable regulatory policy, vibrant market, and high profitability.

Of the six airlines – Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Iran Air, and Iraqi Airways – have already applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh in this regard while two airlines of India have expressed their interest to operate flights to Bangladesh, said Group Captain Chy M Zia Ul Kabir, Member, Flight Standard and Regulations, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Besides, Pakistan also said its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines is interested to resume its direct flights with Bangladesh after a recess of around six years.

Earlier British Airways, one of the world's leading airlines, also officially informed CAAB that they want to resume their operations from Dhaka after 11 years.

Garuda Indonesia, formerly Garuda Indonesian Airways, is the flag carrier of Indonesia while Korean Air is the largest airline and flag carrier of South Korea based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights.

Iran Air, branded as the airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is the flag carrier of Iran, which is headquartered at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran while Iraqi Airways Company, operating as Iraqi Airways is the national carrier of Iraq, headquartered on the grounds of Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad.

Zia ul Kabir said CAAB will sit in a consultation meeting with Iraq while the process is underway to sit with Irani authorities.

"We have sought necessary documents from those airlines and later we will verify those. Besides, officials of CAAB will also visit those countries for audit and later frequency of flight will be fixed before giving final permission," he added.