September 13, 2024
DHAKA – Flights between Bangladesh and India have seen a sharp drop in passenger numbers recently, with airlines blaming India’s restricted visa issuance as the main cause.
This has led to a significant fall in travellers, especially as many who have received visas are hesitant to visit India, fearing harassment or detention at the airport.
Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, India has only resumed issuing visas on a limited basis, mainly for medical and educational purposes. As a result, flights are running at less than half capacity on routes from Dhaka to major Indian cities like Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi, according to sources at various airlines.
Flights to Kolkata, which are priced between Tk 12,500 and Tk 17,000 depending on the airline, are operating with very few passengers. In one case, a private airline flew to Kolkata with just 12 passengers.
Airlines are struggling to cover operational costs as a result of this steep decline, the sources said.
Currently, flights between Bangladesh and India are operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, Novoair, and Indian carriers Vistara Airlines, Air India, and Indigo. These airlines serve routes from Dhaka to Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai.
Airline officials said flights from Dhaka to Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi are carrying less than 50 percent of their passenger capacity. Biman Bangladesh Airlines has had to reduce its weekly flights to Kolkata to seven from 14, while flights to Chennai and Delhi have also been reduced.
Biman’s general manager of public relations, Bushra Islam, said they are only managing to fill 40-48 percent of seats on these routes, though return flights from India have slightly higher passenger numbers.
US-Bangla Airlines has similarly reduced its flight schedules. It used to operate 21 flights a week from Dhaka and Chattogram to Kolkata but is now only running six. Weekly flights to Chennai have also been cut to five from 11. According to Kamrul Islam, US-Bangla Airlines’ general manager of public relations, passenger numbers have dropped significantly since August due to visa complications.
Indian airlines operating from Bangladesh have also reduced their flights, as the demand for travel between the two countries remains low due to the ongoing visa issues. Many travellers are unable to visit India for urgent reasons, adding to the uncertainty surrounding travel between Bangladesh and India.