First direct cargo flight with South Korea launched

TAD Logistics launched the direct cargo flight 'Incheon-Korean Airlines' from Bangladesh to South Korea Saturday morning.

The first cargo flight departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Saturday morning. Initially, two flights will operate weekly.

TAD Group Managing Director Md Ashikur Rahman Tuhin said, "The cargo flights will help our export process to grow revenue and this direct flight will operate twice a week. We are planning to expand the flights on the route 5 days in a week based on the market demand."

"Now, maintained by market demand and with an eye on business continuity, entrepreneurs are looking for reliable alternatives to import and export products,'' he added.

This service will save time and, for any urgent cargo, it will ensure a single-day arrival, he said.

This will help increase export of perishable items from Bangladesh. Leather, leather goods, crabs, RMG, fish, and human hair are the main export items from Bangladesh to South Korea.

Apparel expects to hit the $1 billion mark export to Korea in the current fiscal year with a diverse basket of items like lingerie, denim, shirt, jacket and pullover, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Business insiders say with apparel manufacturing increasingly moving out of China because of rising costs, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to grab the Korean market that currently sources 34% of their clothing items from Beijing. 

Since 2017, Bangladesh's stake in the Korean clothing market has kept on growing but at a slow pace and reached a little over 4% with export earnings at $440 million in FY22, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).