Preparations for Dhaka-Toronto direct flights underway

Dhaka: Preparations for Dhaka-Toronto direct flights are underway as a Canadian team is currently in the country to inspect Dhaka Airport and Biman Bangladesh Airlines – one of the integral steps in the process to allow Biman to operate direct flights from Dhaka to Toronto.      

Group Captain Abu Saleh Mahmud Mannafi, Member, Security, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh said this while speaking to The Bangladesh Monitor on December 5 at his office in the capital.

The team from Canada started the inspection on December 5 and it will end on December 9. The findings of this inspection will be key to allowing direct flights from Dhaka by the Canadian government.   

On the other hand, the Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit Préfontaine said, direct flights to and from Dhaka and Toronto will start soon.

He said this at a meeting with State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali at the Secretariat on December 5.

All kinds of cooperation in operating the Dhaka-Toronto flight is expected from the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka's end, the state minister said.

Benoit Préfontaine said the Dhaka-Toronto direct flight link will enhance trade relations.

He also said the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka is ready to extend all forms of cooperation to this end.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain, Additional Secretary Jananendra Nath Sarkar, and Commercial Counselor of the Canadian High Commission Angelina Dark were also present at the event.