Bangladesh reopens for int’l flights but with restrictions

Bangladesh has re-opened for international scheduled passenger flights, albeit with COVID-19 restrictions and excluding 12 countries currently considered high-risk. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) in a recent NOTAM announced the restart of international schedules on May 1 as per the Summer 2021 schedule, except for passengers to/from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Georgia, India, Iran, Mongolia, Oman, South Africa, and Tunisia. Air bubble flights between Bangladesh and India remained suspended until further notice. Only Bangladeshi expatriates and citizens who visited these countries two weeks before travelling to Bangladesh will be given access by special authorisation from CAAB. On arrival, they will have to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense. Arrivals from 26 countries deemed less high risk will be permitted entry at Dhaka but will nevertheless have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense. These countries include Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Kuwait, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Uruguay. There is no restriction on passengers travelling to these countries. Passengers of this group may transit via the 12 excluded countries provided they remain confined within the airport under airline supervision. As an exception, arrivals from Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar must complete a mandatory three-day institutional quarantine at their own expense. Arrivals from all other countries have to complete a 14-day home quarantine. In addition, all incoming/outgoing passengers must present a negative PCR Covid-19 certificate obtained within 72 hours of departure. Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka) carried the CAAB notice on its website, highlighting restrictions on travellers from Qatar and Kuwait. US-Bangla Airlines (BS, Dhaka) used social media to announce the resumption of its flights to Dubai Int’l, Kuala Lumpur Int’l, Doha Int’l, Singapore Changi, and Guangzhou, adding its flights to Muscat, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Kolkata Int’l, and Chennai remained suspended. All international passenger flights had been grounded from April 11, 2021.