CAAB
14,000 expatriate workers left country in five days: CAAB
A total of 14,000 expatriate workers left the country for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Singapore from April 17 to 21 amid the countrywide lockdown enforced to contain the Covid-19 transmission.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice-Marshal M Mafidur Rahman said the workers flew for their designations after flight operations for expatriates resumed on April 17.
Also read: Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17
Besides, transit passengers of other countries also flew along with these 14,000 expatriate workers, he said.
Earlier on April 15, the government decided to operate special flights of national flag-carrier Biman to five countries, including four in the Middle East with high concentration of Bangladeshi expat workers from April 17.
Also read: Bangladesh to operate special flights to carry overseas workers
The special flights can be availed to fly to three cities in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah), two of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Oman's Muscat, and Qatar's Doha in the ME, as well as the city-state Singapore, said Tahera Khandaker, deputy general manager (public relations) of Biman Bangladesh Airline.
Domestic flights resume Wednesday
Flight operations on domestic routes, except for Cox's Bazar, will resume from Wednesday (April 21, 2021) on a 'limited scale' amid the ongoing lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB), informed UNB about the development and shared three specific reasons for the move.
Also read: Bangladesh to operate special flights to carry overseas workers
He said it was taken to facilitate the communication of expatriate workers across the country, mitigate the loss suffered by the aviation industry and to ease the travel of industry workers as factories are open.
He added that flights must be operated on a limited range in compliance with health regulations.
Also read: CAAB to suspend international flights from Apr 14
On April 3, CAAB decided to suspend flight operations on domestic routes during the lockdown period.
All types of domestic flight operations remained suspended from April 5 since the enforcement of the lockdown.
Read US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from Saturday
Domestic flight suspension extended for another week
The ongoing suspension of domestic flights and charter flights of helicopter/general aviation passenger flights has been extended until April 28.
The restriction came after the government decided to extend the strict lockdown to contain the rapid spike of Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) issued a circular in this regard on Monday. The order will come into effect from April 21.
Read US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from Saturday
All other conditions of the circular under reference will remain unchanged, the circular said.
Flight operations on domestic routes were suspended after the government enforced a lockdown in the first week of April.
Covid-19 situation update
Bangladesh again broke all previous records of Covid-19 deaths registering 112 fatalities in a 24-hour period until Monday morning.
Also read: US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from SaturdayThe country saw over 100 deaths for the fourth consecutive day.
The latest fatalities pushed up the death tally to 10,497 with a mortality rate of 1.45 percent, according to a handout from the Directorate General of Health Services.Besides, 4,271 new cases were reported during the period. The infection rate was 17.68 percent, down from 19.06 percent on Sunday.
Also read: Over 200 protest flight cancellation at Dhaka airport
US-Bangla to operate international flights on four routes from Saturday
US-Bangla Airlines, one of the country’s leading private airlines, is set to operate special international flights on four routes after maintaining health protocols from Saturday (April 17).
The flights will be operated on Dhaka-Dubai, Muscat-Doha and Dhaka-Singapore routes with special precautions, said a media release on Friday.
Also read: US-Bangla's fleet expands to 14
It said nine flights will be operated on Dhaka-Dubai route, while seven on Dhaka-Muscat route, four on Dhaka-Doha and one on Dhaka-Singapore route every week.
All the international travellers must have Coronavirus negative certificates which should be collected at least 72 hours before flying as directed by the government.
Besides, all the returnees from foreign countries will have to stay in institutionalised quarantine for 14 days and bear the expenses personally after landing at Dhaka airport.
Read US-Bangla adds two new ATR 72-600s to its fleet
The airlines said other details are available at the sales office of US-Bangla Airlines or travel agencies. Interested travellers can also call over 01777777800-806 or 13605.
On April 11, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said it will suspend all the international flights as the government was going to impose a strict lockdown from April 14 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Also read: US-Bangla awarded for good service
However, there will be no restriction on the movement of chartered flights, cargo flights and special flights carrying high commissioners of different countries and foreign nationals.
The flight operations on domestic routes have remained suspended since the enforcement of lockdown in the country from April 5.
Read Bangladesh bans entry of passengers from Europe & 12 countries for two weeks
Also, on April 1, the civil aviation regulator suspended the entry of passengers from all European countries, except the UK, and 12 other countries to Bangladesh from April 3.
As the spread of Covid-19 has sparked alarm across the country, the government enforced the nationwide lockdown from April 14 in its bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Read CAAB to suspend international flights from Apr 14
Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17
The government has decided to operate special flights of national flag-carrier Biman to five countries, including four in the Middle East with high concentration of Bangladeshi expat workers from April 17.
As disclosed by Tahera Khandaker, deputy general manager (public relations) of Biman on Thursday, these special flights can be availed to fly to three cities in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah), two of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Oman's Muscat, and Qatar's Doha in the ME, as well as the city-state Singapore.
"The passengers who have made reservations for scheduled flights, set to operate after 6am Saturday, are requested to be at the airport with Covid-19 negative certificates six hours before the departure time," she said.
Also read: Bangladesh to operate special flights to carry overseas workers
The government suspended the operation of all domestic and international passenger flights to restrict the spread of Covid-19 in the country for the duration of the 'all-out lockdown' that came into effect on April 14.
However, the special flight services will allow overseas workers currently stuck in Bangladesh for whatever reason to return to their places of work amid the suspension of regular flights.
"Special flights will be arranged for the overseas workers who have got stuck in the country following the government's strict lockdown. Bangladeshis who work in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Singapore can leave the country under the special arrangements," Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad told UNB on Wednesday.
Also read: CAAB to suspend international flights from Apr 14
"The five countries are still open for Bangladesh as there is no problem in those countries," he said.
The minister also said, "The recruiting agencies concerned are responsible for bringing the overseas workers with Covid-19 negative certificates to the airport and they'll have to follow health guidelines as well."
Answering a query about how many workers have got stuck, the minister said: "It's difficult to say about the exact number but it might be 25000-30,000 as the recruiting agencies claim."
Read Over 200 protest flight cancellation at Dhaka airport
Bangladesh to operate special flights to carry overseas workers
The government has decided to operate special flights to five countries for carrying Bangladeshi overseas workers amid the lockdown imposed on Wednesday to stem the spread of Coronavirus.
“Special flights will be arranged for the overseas workers who have got stuck in the country following the government’s strict lockdown. Bangladeshi workers who work in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Singapore can leave the country under the special arrangements,” Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad told UNB on Wednesday.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) will formulate a work plan in this regard, Imran Ahmad said.
Replying to a question when the special flight operation will begin, the minister said, “It can be said that the decision is almost final as we held two meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. There’ll be another meeting on Thursday where the process of operating flights will be finalised.”
Also read: Bangladesh put under complete lockdown amid Covid spike
The five countries are still open for Bangladesh as there is no problem in those countries, he said.
CAAB to suspend international flights from Apr 14
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) onSunday said they will suspend all international flights as the government is going to impose a strict lockdown from April 14 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
"Decision on international flights has been taken during an inter-ministerial meeting in the evening," said CAAB Chairman of Air Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman.
"We made the move following the government's lockdown directives," he said.
However, there will be no restriction on the movement of chartered flights, cargo flights and special flights carrying high commissioners of different countries and foreign nationals.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
The flight operations on domestic routes have remained suspended since the enforcement of the seven-day lockdown in the country from April 5.
Also, on April 1, the civil aviation regulator suspended the entry of passengers from all European countries, except the UK, and 12 other countries to Bangladesh from April 3.
As the spread of Covid-19 has sparked alarm across the country, the government is set to issue a notification on Sunday over enforcing a fresh nationwide lockdown from April 14 in its desperate bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
Bangladesh, a densely populated country, is facing the wraths of the Covid-19 pandemic as people continue to defy health protocols despite warnings both from the government and experts.
On Saturday, the country registered 77 more deaths in 24 hours until Saturday morning, shattering all of its previous records.
The number of Covid-19 cases dropped slightly to 5,343, said the Directorate General of Health Services.
CAAB likely to suspend international flights from Apr 14
The authorities of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Sunday said they are planning to suspend all international flights as the government is going to impose a strict lockdown from April 14 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Read CAAB to suspend international flights from Apr 14
“However, no final decision has been taken yet. Decision on international flights will be taken after a meeting in the afternoon,” said Air-Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman, chairman of CAAB.
“The operation of flights will depend on the directives of the government and if the lockdown starts from Wednesday then CAAB will take decision on international flights as per the government’s lockdown directives,” he said.
Besides, no restriction will be imposed on the movement of chartered flights, cargo flights and special flights carrying high commissioners of different countries and foreign nationals.
Also read: Govt to enforce 7-day lockdown from Monday: Quader
The flight operations on domestic routes remained suspended since the enforcement of the seven-day lockdown in the country from April 5.
Besides, on April1 , the civil aviation regulator suspended the entry of passengers from all European countries , except the UK, and 12 other countries to Bangladesh from April 3.
As the spread of Coronavirus has sparked alarm across the country, the government is set to issue a notification on Sunday over enforcing a fresh nationwide lockdown from April 14 in its desperate bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Also read: No domestic flight operations during lockdown: CAAB
Bangladesh, a densely populated country, is facing the wraths of the Covid-19 pandemic as people continued to defy health protocols despite warnings both from the government and experts.
On Saturday, the country registered 77 more deaths in 24 hours until Saturday morning, shattering all of its previous records.
The number of new coronavirus cases dropped slightly to 5,343 said a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read UAE limits flights to Iran from Dubai over virus outbreak
No domestic flight operations during lockdown: CAAB
The flight operations on domestic routes will remain suspended immediately after enforcement of lockdown, said Air-Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman, chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Saturday.
However, flights on international routes will operate as usual until further notice, he told UNB.
He said a notice regarding suspension of domestic flights will be issued after the official announcement of lockdown.
Also read: Govt to enforce 7-day lockdown from Monday: Quader
Earlier today Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that the government is set to impose a seven-day lockdown from Monday to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Meanwhile State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain also stated that the announcement of a countrywide seven-day lockdown would come within two or three days.
However, industries or essential services will remain out of the purview of lockdown, said both the ministers.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 5,638 cases, 58 more deaths
Covid-19 in Bangladesh
The number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise as 5,683 people tested positive in the last 24 hours until Saturday morning.
Besides, the death toll from the novel coronavirus climbed to 9,213 in Bangladesh after 58 more deaths during the period.
Bangladesh bans entry of passengers from Europe & 12 countries for two weeks
In an effort to contain Covid-19 in the country, the civil aviation regulator on Thursday banned the entry of passengers from all European nations, except the UK, and 12 other countries, to Bangladesh from April 3.
The twelve countries are Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey and Uruguay, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said in a release.
The CAAB has issued the circular after reviewing the ongoing Covid-19 situation throughout the country and worldwide. The entry ban will be in force from April 3 to April 18.
Airlines operating scheduled passenger flights from all the above-mentioned countries will be allowed to carry only transit passengers to Bangladesh, subject to the conditions that they remain confined inside the terminal building only.
Irrespective of the Covid-19 vaccination, all passengers coming to Bangladesh shall mandatorily possess and show ‘PCR-based Covid-19 negative certificate’ during departure from origin and on arrival at an airport in this country.
Also read: 14-day institutional quarantine mandatory for travellers from European countries: CAAB
The PCR test shall be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time. If no Covid-19 symptoms are found on arrival, passengers shall strictly have to complete a 14-day home quarantine, the regulator said.
However, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected, passengers shall have to undergo mandatory 14 days isolation at government facilities at their own expenses.
Passengers coming from other countries, that's except those mentioned earlier, and exiting from the transit at the airport, shall have to obtain a fresh Covid-19 negative certificate as the existing one would be deemed null and void.
Also read: Now restrictions lifted on domestic flights: CAAB
In addition, on arrival in Bangladesh, all such passengers shall have to complete mandatory four days institutional quarantine at government facilities or government-approved hotels at their own expenses.
Also read: Migrant workers’ protests: CAAB permits operation of more Saudi Airlines flights
Samples will be collected for the Covid-19 PCR test and the passenger will be released to complete the 14 days' home quarantine (including the institutional quarantine) if the result is negative.