Sylhet-New York Biman flights soon?

Amid reports of the efforts from Bangladesh over the to resumption of direct flights between Dhaka and New York, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali has said operation of Biman Bangladesh Airlines direct flight on the Sylhet-New York route will begin soon.

"Sylhet Osmani International Airport is being developed to make the airport as the regional hub following the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said on Friday, reports BSS.

"We are working to upgrade the airport international standard," he told journalists after a meeting with the authorities of Sylhet Osmani International Airport.

Earlier, the state minister joined a meeting over land acquisition of the airport.

Bangladesh is working towards achieving a category-1 rating of the Federal Aviation Administration from the current category-2 to resume Dhaka-New York direct flight.

The national flag carrier operated flight between 1993 and 2006 and later was suspended due to loss on the route. 

Bangladesh has purchased a number of Boeing aircrafts from the flight.

The issue of resumption of the direct flight was also raised by Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen during his meeting with US secretary of state Antony J Blinken in Washington in April, said officials concerned.

In the 8th Bangladesh-US Partnership Dialogue held in Dhaka in March, the foreign secretary Masun Bin Momen also requested the US delegation to resume the flights of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines that had remained suspended since 2006 for incurring losses.

Prime minister’s private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman in his meeting with the US State Department officials in Washington in June also called for resumption of the flight.