Bangladesh, Canada sign direct air service deal Nizam Ahmed; Airlines operating from the country are now mulling to fly even beyond the United States, as Canada has signed the first-ever air transport agreement with Bangladesh, allowing direct scheduled air services between the two countries, officials said. The agreement was signed in Ottawa last week, just nearly a fortnight after Bangladesh and the US had signed a similar Open Skies Air Transport Agreement, formalising the liberalisation of bilateral aviation relationship between the two countries. "It is the first such agreement between Bangladesh and Canada. Now airlines from Bangladesh will be able to operate in or fly through Canada," Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (MCAT) Joint Secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman told the FE. The agreement will come into effect immediately. MCAT Secretary Khurshid Alam Chowdhury and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Commodore Sakeb Iqbal Khan Majlis travelled to Ottawa to sign the deal, he said. "The agreement has been signed, as the number of travellers flying between Canada and Bangladesh grew gradually in the past several years following rise in bilateral trade." Bangladesh exports ready-made garments and shrimp worth more than $1.5 billion to Canada annually. Airlines operators and businesspeople in Bangladesh believed that this new air transport agreement will facilitate easy and hassle-free travel and shipment to Canada. The agreement will make Bangladeshi and Canadian airlines, including passenger and cargo services, to operate in all airfields in both the countries or to operate to a third country. Airlines will also be allowed to choose to offer air services by sharing space on the flights of other airlines of any country, as now in common practice in the aviation industry, known as code-sharing. Canadian Minister of International Trade Lisa Raitt and Minister of Transport Edward Fast jointly announced the signing of the agreement in Ottawa Wednesday. "This new air transport agreement will facilitate air travel between both the countries and provide more convenience to travellers and shippers," CNW, a Public Relation Newswire of Canada, quoted Ms Lisa as saying. The agreement will help Canadian businesses to open new markets in South Asia through Bangladesh, said Transport Minister Mr Fast. "Direct air service between Canada and Bangladesh will better connect our business people, students and other travellers, which will help us deepen the Canada-Bangladesh partnership," the CNW also quoted Mr Fast further. Earlier this month senior officials of MCAT and their counterparts in the US initialled a similar US-Bangladesh Open Skies Air Transport Agreement, to come into effect immediately. The deal will create opportunities for strengthening the economic partnership between the US and Bangladesh through closer links in transport and trade, traders and aviators said. Bangladesh exports RMG, shrimp and many non-traditional items to the US worth $5.0 billion a year, according to data available with the Ministry of Commerce. Similar efforts to sign an air transport agreement with oil-rich East Asian country Brunei are underway, and it is hoped that it will be signed soon, said another official of the MCAT. Bangladesh now has four airlines in operation including the state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 08:39:16 +0000