Air passenger numbers decline on Bangladesh-India route, airlines concerned

In July and August, due to the mass protests in Bangladesh, the number of passengers traveling to India via air has dropped significantly, along with road and rail routes. There has also been a notable decline in the number of Indian travelers coming to Bangladesh.

The Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka recently announced that visas for Bangladeshis would only be issued for medical or emergency purposes, leading to further concerns among airlines from both countries about a potential decline in passenger numbers. Officials fear that if passenger loads drop below 50%, airlines may incur losses, and there is even the risk that air travel between the two countries could be suspended again.

A large number of Bangladeshis travel to India for medical treatment, with many relying on air travel due to its convenience and shorter travel times, which is less strenuous for patients. If flights are suspended, these medical travelers could face significant challenges, and experts warn that both economies could feel the impact.

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in August due to protests, all types of Indian visa services were suspended in Bangladesh, and air travel between Bangladesh and India was also halted. Once Bangladesh returned to relative normalcy in September, Indian visa centers resumed operations, and air travel slowly began to normalize. Air India recently resumed services on the Delhi-Dhaka route.

However, in a recent statement to the media, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced that, for the time being, visas for Bangladeshis would only be issued for medical and emergency purposes.

This visa restriction has once again impacted flights between the two countries.

Officials indicate that the Bangladesh-India flights are at risk of suspension due to the shortage of passengers. Novoair has already halted its Dhaka-Kolkata route, and US-Bangla Airlines has suspended its Chattogram-Kolkata flights.

Typically, IndiGo Airlines operates three daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai to Dhaka, with two daily flights from Kolkata to Dhaka. While three weekly flights are still operating between Delhi and Dhaka, the rest have been suspended. Currently, only two flights per day are operational on the Dhaka-Delhi route, operated by Vistara and Air India.

If this trend continues, airlines fear that air connectivity between the two countries could face another suspension for the second time in two months.