EgyptAir, state-owned airline of Egypt, which set to begin its regular direct flight operations to Bangladesh on May 14, will complete its alignment with the Billing Settlement Plan (BSP) before inauguration of operation from Dhaka.
BSP is a digital platform for global payment settlement systems designed to facilitate and simplify the selling, reporting and remitting procedures of IATA (International Air Transport Association) accredited passenger sales agents.
“We have already moved for aligning with the BSP and are hopeful of launching the system for Bangladeshi travel agents to facilitate selling of tickets to passengers through the digital system”, said Farhad Hossain, executive director and chief operating officer (COO) of Egypt Air Bangladesh office.
He informed that currently the ticket selling system is being conducted in a semi-digital system and travel agents are maintaining direct contact with EgyptAir’s Dhaka office in Safura Tower at 20, Kamal Ataturk Avenue in Banani.
“But once the BSP procedures are completed every transaction will be made digitally”, he told UNB.
Farhad said EgyptAir, a member of Star Alliance and an IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) accredited airline, has been operating flights across the globe through the BSP system.
According to EgyptAir, the airline has initially planned to operate two non-stop weekly flights between Dhaka and Cairo.
EgyptAir's Bangladesh chief also noted that the airline will operate flights to and from Dhaka twice weekly on Sunday and Wednesday with brand-new Boeing 787-9 aircraft having 309-seat with 30 business class.
Now, Egypt Air will become the sole operator of nonstop flights between Egypt and Bangladesh in the aviation history of Bangladesh, he added.
District manager of Egypt Air Mostafa Magdy Hussain Elkady, and executive director and chief operating officer (COO) of Egypt Air Bangladesh office Farhad Hossain met Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Md. Mahbub Ali at his ministry office on April 11.
During the meeting the minister said that the start of EgyptAir flight operations in Bangladesh is a milestone in the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.
“As EgyptAir commences, its direct flights between Dhaka and Cairo will offer a great opportunity for different stakeholders intending to visit Egypt, Europe, and North America via Cairo, and would reflect exchanging businesses, cargoes, and also facilitate Bangladeshi students studying in Egyptian universities,” he said.
EgyptAir hopes the nonstop service will further boost leisure travel between the two countries and connect traffic through Cairo to the airline's onward destinations, such as the USA, Canada, Middle East, and Africa.
EgyptAir operates flights to over 80 destinations, including the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the United States, with a fleet of 69 modern aircraft.