This letter is in reference to an article published in the Financial Express on December 23, titled 'Biman looks to open five routes next summer'. The article reported that the authority of Biman Bangladesh Airlines is expected to add priority routes Guangzhou, Medinah, Delhi, Colombo and Male to its network during the summer schedule of next year. The schedule starts from March 28, 2019 and will continue till October.
The article also reported that the priority routes will be opened as the national carrier continues to expand its fleet. Next year, Biman is scheduled to get four more aircraft including two Boeing 737 under lease agreement by January and two Boeing 787 Dreamliners by September next year. This will increase Biman's fleet to a total of 17 aircraft by 2019.
All the five destinations mentioned are extremely important in the global economy today and so, there is a high demand for flights to all five destinations.
Guangzhou is one of the prime business hubs of China. Once the flights are initiated, I am sure that businessmen from both Bangladesh and China will benefit.
Medinah will be the fourth Middle-Eastern destination after Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Around 4.0 million Bangladeshi migrant workers are based in the Middle East. Also, many Bangladeshis visit Saudi Arabia for Umrah, tourism and other purposes now. This flight destination will help all kinds of travellers.
Delhi being the capital of India will also prove to be important as bilateral ties between Bangladesh and India are extremely strong.
Colombo and Male are two of the best tourist destinations in South Asia now. Bangladesh's trade relations with Sri Lanka and Maldives are gaining momentum. The destinations to the capitals of both South Asian countries are a great choice. This is a significant development for Biman. If Biman can continue to keep competitive rates for all five destinations and if its service is on a par with other international airlines, the national carrier's revenue is likely to increase in the coming year.
Akibul Javed,
Indira Road, Dhaka
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