Vietnam's proposal to launch direct flights to Bangladesh has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, or CAAB, and has been sent to the ministry for final clearance.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mohammad Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com on Tuesday: "Vietnam Airlines, the country's state-owned carrier, along with a private airline, has applied for permission to operate flights to Bangladesh.
"We are aiming to launch flights soon. Their global sales agent (GSA) in Bangladesh is ready. Now, it awaits ministry approval."
Vietnam Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Manh Cuong met with the CAAB chairman at the agency's Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the matter.
The meeting focused on launching direct flights between Bangladesh and Vietnam, finalising a ground service agreement, and signing a memorandum of understanding, or MoU, to enhance aviation cooperation, CAAB said in a media statement.
Discussions also covered ways to expand mutual collaboration in the aviation sector, it said.
Representatives from the Vietnamese embassy, FlyPort Limited, Vietnam Airlines' local agent, and CAAB officials attended the meeting.
Vietnam, a Southeast Asian nation covering 331,000 square kilometres, shares land borders with China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west.
Its maritime boundaries include Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand and the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia in the South China Sea.
The air distance between Bangladesh and Vietnam is approximately 2,165km.
Currently, flights with layovers take an average of 7-8 hours, with some routes exceeding 10 hours, depending on transit locations and wait times.
A direct flight would reduce travel time to about three hours.
At present, airlines such as Qatar Airways, China Southern, Thai Airways, IndiGo, AirAsia, and Malaysia Airlines operate flights between Bangladesh and Thailand.
Discussions on launching direct flights between the two countries date back to 2021 when Mahbub Ali was state minister.
The initiative resurfaced in 2024 under the tenure of former civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan but failed to materialise.
Abdus Salam Aref, president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh, or ATAB, told bdnews24.com: "There are no direct flights from Bangladesh to Vietnam, leaving travellers with limited options.
"Direct flights would make travel easier for tourists from both countries, reduce costs, and save time," he added.
"Cargo and air freight services would also facilitate trade, creating new business opportunities. Overall, this would be beneficial for all," said Aref. —bdnews24.com
