Flight operations of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume on the Rajshahi-Dhaka route on April 6, after eight years of suspension, said Setafur Rahman, manager of Shah Makhdum Airport, Rajshahi.
“Preparations including restoration of terminal, setting up fiber furniture, extension of air borderline, renovation of runway are done,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
In a view exchanging meeting on February 24, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed khan Menon announced that to carry flight operations on the Rajshahi-Dhaka route, the government had bought two airplanes each with a capacity of carrying 74 passengers.
The government decided to resume the flights following the demands of the residents of Rajshahi and in near future it plans to operate cargo planes on the route as well, said Menon.
An additional up-down flight will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays each week.
Setafur Rahman said: “Foreign passengers can easily connect with the western parts of the country if the flights are resumed. This will contribute to the economy of Rajshahi.”
Fazle Hossain Badsha, member parliament of Rajshahi-2 sadar constituency, said “Resumption of flights on Rajshahi-Dhaka route is a long cherished desire of the people of Rajshahi. I have tried my best to secure the consent of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard.”
Due to a decrease in the number of passengers and goods, the authorities concerned closed down the flights on Rajshahi-Dhaka route in 2007.
