Airlines reduce flights to India over visa complications

Air travel has always been a popular choice for Bangladeshi travelers heading to various destinations in India. However, since mid-July, the number of passengers has been steadily decreasing due to changing circumstances in Bangladesh. After August 5, complications related to visa issuance for India have led to a significant decline in passenger numbers on popular routes including Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi, marking the lowest figures in recent memory.

Bangladeshi travelers often visit India for tourism through tourist visas, while many seek medical treatment in Chennai and Hyderabad using medical visas. Additionally, individuals travel for various reasons, including business and education. Due to an unusual drop in passenger numbers, national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines and major private airline US-Bangla Airlines, along with NovoAir operating in the Dhaka-Kolkata route, have been forced to cancel a significant number of flights since the beginning of August.

US-Bangla Airlines used to operate two flights daily from Dhaka to Kolkata, totaling 14 flights a week. However, due to the current situation, they now operate only six flights a week. The airline had also been operating one daily flight from Chattogram, but due to a shortage of passengers, they have temporarily suspended flights on the Chattogram-Kolkata route. Many passengers from Bangladesh travel to Chennai for medical treatment, and US-Bangla Airlines previously operated 11 flights a week to Chennai but has now reduced that to only six.

Novoair has temporarily suspended its flight in Kolkata route due to a lack of passengers. Alongside private airlines, the national carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, has reduced its flights from 14 to just seven per week on the Dhaka-Kolkata route. Similarly, on the Dhaka-Chennai route, they have cut flights from seven to three. The trend of decreasing passenger numbers is also evident among Indian airlines operating on various routes to Bangladesh.

Travelers from Bangladesh to various destinations in India are spending time in extreme uncertainty due to the unusual visa issuance process. Many are unable to travel to India for urgent reasons. Citizens interested in visiting India are urging policymakers from both countries to take swift action to maintain the normalcy of all kinds of relationships, including socio-economic ties. If the movement of citizens between Bangladesh and India is halted due to visa complications, the air routes between the two countries will almost be closed, which is undesirable. As a result, the aviation and tourism sectors will face significant threats.

Md Kamrul Islam: General Manager, Public Relations, US-Bangla Airlines.