Biman Bangladesh Airlines launched on Monday direct flight operation on Dhaka-Madina route initially with three flights a week.
Madina will be the second destination to Saudi Arabia after Jeddah.
Biman deployed its newly purchased Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with a capacity of 271 seats, including 24 business and 247 economy class to operate the flights on Madina route.
Besides, Biman will start flight operation on Chattogram-Madina-Chattogram route from October 31.
Initially, Biman will operate flights on Dhaka-Madina-Dhaka route on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. The flight on Chattogram-Madina-Chattogram route will be operated on Thursday.
State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali inaugurated the maiden Dhaka-Madina flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in the city.
The first flight left Dhaka with 241 passengers on board. The return fare for economy class on Dhaka-Madina route will be US$ 605 and on Chattogram-Madina route US$ 622.
The state minister said the government has taken decision to establish direct air connectivity to Madina as the second destination to Saudi Arbia because the number of pilgrims to perform Umrah is getting bigger every year.
Besides, he said, the new route will also benefit large number of Bangladeshi expatriate workforce who are residing in Saudi Arabia.
The Madina route is a part of Biman's ongoing endeavour for expanding its international destination routes, Ali added.
By 2020, the Dhaka-Manchester route will open.
The preparation for flight operation to Narita, Colombo, Male and New York has been completed, he added.
BSS adds: Apart from today's new route, Biman is operating flights to 16 other international and seven domestic destinations with 16 aircraft - four Boeing 787-8, four Boeing 777-300ER, five Boeing 737-800s and three Dash-8 Q400.
In 2008, Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a US$ 2.1 billion agreement with Boeing to purchase 10 new aircrafts. Boeing has already delivered all 10 aircraft - four 777-300ER's and two 737-800's and four 787-8 Dreamliner to Biman.
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