South Korean low-cost airline Jin Air has undertaken a plan to operate flights to and from Bangladesh to enhance air connectivity and strengthen cooperation in readymade garments, pharmaceutical, skincare, cosmetics, agriculture and tourism sectors.
Recently, the airline wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) seeking permission to operate regular flights on the Dhaka-Seoul route.
Jin Air initially wants to operate two weekly flights under non-scheduled management for a temporary three-month period.
However, the civil aviation regulator responded by clarifying that flight schedule submissions must align with regular operations due to the absence of rules allowing temporary operation of non-scheduled flights.
A senior CAAB official told Dhaka Tribune the aviation regulatory body had instructed Jin Air to revise its flight schedule for submission based on the regular schedule if it intended to operate regular flights.
Although Jin Air had yet to respond to CAAB, it had received permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to operate a charter flight from Dhaka to Seoul on October 26, said an official of the ministry.
Local aviation platform Galaxy has been designated as the global sales agent for Jin Air in Bangladesh. A representative from Galaxy informed Dhaka Tribune that initial operations would consist of charter flights, with plans to transition to regular flights based on passenger demand.
Established on January 23, 2008, Jin Air commenced commercial operations on April 5 of the same year. The airline, boasting an all-Boeing fleet, currently operates flights connecting various destinations in Asia, including China, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) reveals a substantial growth of 35.66% in Bangladesh's apparel exports to South Korea, reaching $255.49 million in the July-December period of the 2023 fiscal year, compared to $188.33 million in the 2022 fiscal year.
