Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar air connectivity resumes after over 4 months

Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraftFile photo

Domestic air connectivity between the capital and beach town Cox’s Bazar will be restored on Thursday after more than four months of suspension due to containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports BSS.

The Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) has taken the decision to resume the flight operations on Cox’s Bazar, the country’s most popular tourist destination as the district civil surgeon office has made necessary arrangements to monitor the health hygiene and social distancing at the airport, CAAB spokesperson told the news agency.

With the flight reopening to Cox’s Bazar as the seventh domestic route, the full internal air connectivity will be restored as the government has already reopened other six destinations -- Chattogram, Sylhet, Saidpur, Jashore, Barishal and Rajshahi -- in a row after the domestic flight resumption.

On 1 June, the government first resumed the air connectivity on the three routes – Chattogram, Sylhet and Saidpur from and to the capital after more than two-month closure due to novel coronavirus outbreak while it reopened flight operations to Jashore, Barisal and Rajshahi on 11 June, 12 and 21 July respectively.

According to CAAB guidelines, airlines are operating flights keeping at least 30 per cent seats vacant on each flight to ensure social distancing by keeping at least gap of a seat between two passengers if they are not from the same family.