Momen, Biman blame each other for delay in flights to India
Dhaka: Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Biman Bangladesh Airlines are blaming each other for the delay in operating flights to India as the flag carrier was supposed to resume flights to the neighbouring country from August 22 as announced but failed.
The confusion arose after Momen on August 17 announced flight operations to India will resume from August 20. Biman followed the announcement with a press release saying flights to Delhi and Kolkata would resume on August 22.
However, all these announcements were made without the approval of the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh.
Group Captain Chy M Zia Ul Kabir, Member (Flight Standard and Regulations), CAAB, on August 22 said they are yet to receive a response from India about resuming flights.
On August 4, CAAB sent a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India, seeking its approval for flight resumptions from August 11 under the air bubble agreement.
Following Biman's announcement, several passengers bought their tickets to India and those currently in India bought their tickets to return home. These passengers are now in uncertainty.
In the meantime, aviation experts have criticised the flag carrier’s management for its unprofessional and imprudent handling of the matter. They advised Biman to offer an apology to the passengers.
On August 22, Foreign Minister Momen clarified that he did not say lights between the two countries would surely resume from August 20. "What I said is that flights between the two countries might resume at that time," he claimed.
Momen also added that India had informed the foreign ministry that it agreed "in principle" to resume flights to and from Bangladesh.
"But the respective departments of the two countries will determine when and how the flights will resume. It is not the task of the foreign ministry to do that," Momen explained.
About the flag carrier’s announcement and the passengers who are suffering as they have already purchased tickets, Momen said to ask Biman management instead.
On the other hand, a Biman official said the carrier formally announced the resumption of flights to India from August 22 on the basis of the foreign minister's statement.
He said as the foreign ministry unambiguous announced it, Biman authorities thought it was certain.
Yet, the Managing Director and CEO of Biman Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal agreed they were yet to get any direction from CAAB to resume flights with India.
"Like other airlines of the country, we have announced this as part our preparation to operate flights," he said.
This confusion has led to troubles for hundreds of passengers who travel to India, mostly for treatment purposes. Their travel has now become uncertain.
Also, several Bangladeshis had already gone to receive treatment in different states of India. They have been stranded in India for months now. Many of them had bought tickets of the flag carrier hoping to fly back on August 22, but to no avail.
Aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor of The Bangladesh Monitor, claimed it was very unprofessional for Biman to announce flight schedules to India without any approval.
"How could they formally announce the flight schedule without CAAB's approval? Biman should offer an apology to all the affected passengers."
Flights between Bangladesh and India was suspended for several months during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension was lifted and flights resumed on October 28, 2020 under an air bubble agreement. However, it was again halted later following the resurgence of a second coronavirus wave in India.
