Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam has said that there is no possibility of launching direct flights from Dhaka to New York within the current year.
She said it would take at least five years for new Boeing aircraft to be added to the fleet of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, making it impossible to start direct Dhaka–New York flights before then.
The minister made the remarks while speaking to journalists after inaugurating a workshop titled “Civil Aviation Master Plan” at a hotel in the capital on Sunday.
She also said the government is planning to lease aircraft from Airbus during this period.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 16. He expressed hope that the Japanese contractor would complete the construction work ahead of schedule.
Officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the armed forces and other relevant agencies attended the workshop, which aims to formulate the country’s first integrated national civil aviation master plan.