Photo : Collected
Ethiopian Airlines and Air China are set to start operations in Bangladesh in May this year.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is preparing to facilitate flights for these two foreign carriers. CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman said preparations are underway to support Ethiopian Airlines and Air China as part of Bangladesh's aspiration to become an aviation hub.
CAAB has notified the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and instructed Biman Bangladesh Airlines to assist with ground handling services for these airlines.
"We are hopeful to start our Addis Ababa-Dhaka-Addis Ababa direct flight third week of May. Initially it will operate five weekly flights," Managing Director of Rhythm Group, the airline's General Sales Agent (GSA) in Bangladesh, Shohag Hossain said.
Ethiopian Airlines plans to launch flights between Addis Ababa and Dhaka in May, initially operating five weekly flights. The airline, known for its extensive African network, intends to eventually offer daily flights with its Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft to Dhaka, connecting Bangladeshi expatriates to major European and North American cities from Addis Ababa.
The air service agreement between Ethiopia and Bangladesh was signed in December 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following diplomatic consultations. Ethiopian Airlines, with 147 aircraft, is Africa's largest airline and ranks as the world’s fourth-largest in terms of countries served.
Air China will also start operating two weekly flights on the Dhaka-Beijing-Dhaka route, responding to the growing connections between China and Bangladesh.
This move aims to streamline travel, as currently, flights from Dhaka to Chinese cities like Kunming and Guangzhou require additional transfers to reach the capitals. Air China, with a fleet of 497 aircraft, plans to expand its international and regional routes, adding to its existing 452 routes.
Ethiopian started its operation with five C-47 aircraft operating its debut fight to Cairo via Asmara on April 8, 1946. Ever since, it has been growing in leaps and bounds and continued to introduce cutting-edge aviation technology and systems.
As aviation technology leader, Ethiopian was a pioneer in ushering in new aviation technology into Africa including the first jet airplane as well as the first B767, B777-200LR, B787 Dreamliner, and787-9 in the continent. Ethiopian also led the way in operating Africa’s first Airbus A350 XWB.
Currently, the airline has a fleet of more than 146 modern aircraft with an average fleet age of less than seven years. It has also more than 100 ultramodern aircraft on order.
Air China was established and commenced operations on July 1, 1988 as a result of the Chinese government's decision in late 1987 to split the operating divisions of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC Airlines) into six separate airlines – Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, China Northern, China Southwest, and China Northwest. Air China was given chief responsibility for intercontinental flights and took over the CAAC's long haul aircraft (Boeing 747s, 767s, and 707s) and routes.
Messenger/Fameema
