Flights with southern airports hit hard by Padma Bridge
The number of passengers on Dhaka-Barishal and Dhaka-Jashore flights has drastically dropped as road communication has improved after inauguration of Padma Bridge.
Two private airlines have stopped their Dhaka-Barishal route flights while state run Biman Bangladesh Airlines is struggling to operate its flights.
Public and private airlines have decreased the number of flights on Dhaka-Jashore route. Two private airlines have closed bus service from Jashore to Khulna, the neighbouring divisional city, to minimize loss.
The government scrapped its plan to construct Khanjahan Ali Airport in Bagerhat after inauguration of Padma Bridge and looking for alternatives.
Meanwhile, airlines also fear a decrease of passengers on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route with the inauguration of trains on this route.
The number of passengers, however, remains the same on Dhaka-Syedpur and Dhaka-Rajshahi routes.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated Padma Bridge on 25 June last year and the bridge was opened for people the following day. The passengers on the two routes of airlines started to decrease immediately after the bridge was opened.
US Bangla Airlines’ would see 950 to 1000 passengers daily on Dhaka-Jashore route before Padma Bridge was inaugurated, which has now dropped to 280-300 passengers.
Source said the private airlines are incurring loss even by decreasing the fare.
Officials of relevant private airlines said they don’t see any possibility of improvement of this situation. However, the officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh are optimistic about turning the tide but they think it would take time.
Officials of relevant private airlines said they don’t see any possibility of improvement of this situation. Two domestic airports—Barishal and Jashore—might fall out of use for want of flights. These two airports are now trying to find new routes with neighboring countries.
However, the officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh are optimistic about turning the tide but they think it would take time.
CAAB chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mofidur Rahman thinks the number of passengers in these two routes has decreased but the situation will improve. Once the southern region of the country will become industrialised, people will opt for air routes again.
US-Bangla Airlines’ general manager (GM) Zulfikar Ali does not think the Dhaka-Bairshal route has any future. The number of passengers has nosedived on this route while the prospect of Dhaka-Jashore route seems bleak to him.
US-Bangla Airlines would operate two flights everyday on Dhaka-Barishal route before Padma Bridge was opened to the public. The private airlines had completely closed operations on this route on 1 October.
State-run Biman operates three flights in a week on this route incurring loss.
State minister for civil aviation and tourism Md Mahbub Ali told national parliament on 2 November that a total of 28 flights would operate on Dhaka-Barishal daily before inauguration of Padma Bridge but only three flights operate on this route a week.
Before the inauguration of Padma bridge, US-Bangla Airlines would operate six flights on Dhaka-Jashore route daily which has now decreased to two flights. Novoair also has the same picture.
Stakeholders said traveling to Barishal from Dhaka via Padma Bridge takes only four hours. As there is no traffic congestion on the highway, the number of passengers on the route continues to increase. Meanwhile, traveling from Dhaka to Khulna by road via Padma Bridge takes three and half hours to four hours. This significant cut of travel time has led to a decrease in the number of passengers by air drastically. As a result, airlines were forced to cut its operation in the region.
Before the inauguration of Padma bridge, US-Bangla Airliens would operate six flights on Dhaka-Jashore route daily which has now decreased to two flights. Novoair also has the same picture.
Biman would operate two flights daily on this route but now operates one.
Novoair’s head of airport operation Abu Rushd Mohammad Shahdat told Prothom Alo there is no way to be optimistic about Dhaka-Barishal route and Dhaka-Jashore route will not also get the number of passengers back.
Civil aviation and tourism secretary Md Mokammel Hossain told Prothom Alo that the situation would change since businesses would boom in the southern region.
He thinks airports in Barishal and Jashore would not be in disuse but the flight operation would decrease.
With the advent of Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar rail route, the private airlines fear the number of passengers would decrease on this route too.
Currently US-Bangla operates 9 flights on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route, Novoair operates 7 flights, Biman 5 flights and Air Astra 5 flights.
On Dhaka-Rajshahi route, US-Bangla and Novoair operate 2 flights each and Biman operates one flight.
On the Dhaka-Saidpur route, US-Bangla and Novoair operate six flights each while Biman and Air Astra operate 2 flights each.
Bagerhat airport project scrapped
An airport was supposed to be constructed in Bagerhat under Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in June scrapped the project. The committee reasoned that an airport is no longer needed in Bagerhat after Padma Bridge’s inauguration. Moreover, the airport would require big investment.
Sources said, this PPP project could not attract any investor.
Civil aviation and tourism ministry’s secretary Md Mokammel Hossain said the government is mulling over an alternative to the airport in Bagerhat.