Turkish Airlines eyes three more Dhaka flights

Turkish Airlines is seeking to add three weekly flights on its Dhaka-Istanbul route, raising its services to 10 a week from the current seven, as Bangladesh and Turkey look to strengthen air connectivity.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat welcomed the airline’s interest during a meeting with a Turkish delegation at the Secretariat yesterday, saying there would be greater scope for additional flights once the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport becomes operational.

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Bangladesh has a growing international passenger market, with more than 1 crore passengers travelling each year, according to industry insiders.

The minister urged Turkish Airlines to consider launching direct flights from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, citing demand for international travel among people in the two regions, including a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis.

He said additional services from the two airports would make international travel more convenient for passengers and further strengthen connectivity between Bangladesh and Turkey.

Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Şen led the delegation. Bilal Belyurt, commercial counsellor at the Turkish Embassy, and İslam Güre, country manager of Turkish Airlines in Bangladesh, were also present at the meeting.

Turkish Airlines began operations in Bangladesh in December 2010 with four weekly flights between Dhaka and Istanbul via Karachi. It switched to direct Dhaka-Istanbul services on March 25, 2012, initially operating four flights a week.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in aviation, tourism, investment and people-to-people connectivity.

Millat said Bangladesh and Turkey have longstanding friendly relations, with considerable scope for expanding cooperation in tourism, culture and connectivity.

Tourism investment also featured in the discussions.

The minister said the government has taken an initiative to develop 1,498 tourism spots across Bangladesh under public-private partnerships (PPPs) and is encouraging foreign investors to participate in developing infrastructure, management and services at the destinations.

He invited Turkish investors to invest in Bangladesh’s tourism sector, noting that Turkey’s experience in tourism development, hospitality and related industries could contribute to the sector’s growth in Bangladesh.

The two sides also discussed easing visa procedures for Bangladeshi citizens.

Millat said easier visa facilities would help boost travel, business, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, calling for effective initiatives by both sides in this regard.

Both sides expressed interest in further strengthening cooperation in aviation, tourism and investment, as well as expanding exchanges between the people of the two countries.