Bangladesh carriers cancel 3 daily flights to India as passenger count sharply drops amid unrest
Amid escalating unrest and targeted attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, coupled with Indian visa restrictions, air travel between Kolkata and Bangladesh's Dhaka, Chittagong has witnessed a dramatic downturn.
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Amid escalating unrest and targeted attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, coupled with Indian visa restrictions, air travel between Kolkata and Bangladesh's Dhaka, Chittagong has witnessed a dramatic downturn.Â
Bangladesh’s national carrier, Biman Bangladesh, has slashed its flights between Kolkata and Dhaka from two daily flights to just one. US-Bangla Airlines, a prominent private carrier, has also reduced its Dhaka frequency to a single daily flight and altogether discontinuing its Kolkata-Chittagong service.
Indian airline IndiGo, which continues to operate two daily flights, is keeping a watchful eye on the deteriorating situation in Dhaka. "The dip in passenger loads over the past few months, which has further accentuated in recent days, is a cause for concern," sources within IndiGo remarked, reported Times of India (TOI).
Sharp decline in flights and passenger count
The total flights from Kolkata to Dhaka and Chittagong have plummeted from 125 in September to a mere 97 in November. This drastic reduction has led to a significant dip in departing passengers, from 15,479 in September to 12,747 in November. Arrivals from Bangladesh have also been impacted, falling from 114 flights in September to 96 in November, with passenger counts dropping from 12,540 to 10,121 during the same period.
Biman Bangladesh's flights from Kolkata have nearly halved, plunging from 59 in July to just 28 in November. US-Bangla Airlines has fared even worse, with its departures plummeting from 84 in July to a mere 24 in November. Comparatively, IndiGo's operations have been more stable, with flight departures dropping from 62 in July to 45 in November.
"Tourism, both conventional and local, as well as business, are impacted by the ongoing turmoil there. For most middle-class Bangladeshis, India is a foreign country within reach for medical as well as religious tourism where affordability, food, and language are not a barrier. Unless the situation gets resolved, everyone will feel the pinch," said Anjani Dhanuka, chairman (East) of the Travel Agents' Association of India.
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