Narinjara news

March 4, 2002

DHAKA-CTG-YANGON-BANGKOK FLIGHT BEGINS

The Biman Bangladesh Airline started operating its Dhaka-Chittagong-Yangon-Bangkok flight from Yesterday.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and tourism Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin inaugurated the one-a-week flight at MA Hannan International Airport in Chittagong in the after noon.

The minister greeted the passengers of the first flight with follower. The plane took off at 1.15 pm with 178 passengers.

 The Biman will operate the newly  introduced flight every sun day. It will fly to Bangkok via Yangon.

With the introduction of the new flight, along cherished dream of the people of Chittagong, the direct air line with Yangon, has been materialised.

This flight would open up a new era in the history of Biman operation as it restores a line between Chittagong and Myanmar, the state Minister said at the inaugural ceremony.

He also said that the government has a plan to set up a five hotel on the adjoining seashore.

Chairman of  the Civil Aviation Association of Bangladesh (CAAB) Lutfer Rahman, Managing Director of Bangladesh Biman Fakhrrul Alam also spoke at the ceremony where Divisional Commissioner o Chittagong Katebur Rahman, president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Farid Ahmed Chowdhury, CMP Commissioner Shadullah khan were present on the occasion.

Earlier, at a press briefing at the VIP lounge of the air port, the state minister said the government believes that the development in a democratic country is a continuous process.

He said that various steps have been taken to make the Biman a profit-making organization.

But the minister regretted that the MA Hannan airport, which was constructed at a cost of over TK 600 crore, remained under-utilised. 

He said that as part of different income-generating measures, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, for the first time, operated flights from Chittagong to Jeddah, ferrying around 20 thousand Hajj pilgrims this year.

Following requested and pressure from the business leaders and common people as well, the Chittagong-Yangon-Bangkok flight was introduced, the state minister said, adding that government was also actively considering introduction of flight on the Dhaka Chittagong-Muscat route from next month.

He further disclosed that an Air Silk flight would be introduced on Chittagong-Singapore route from March 31.#

Source: the daily star