Direct flights to Switzerland: Initial agreement signing expected in 2 months, says aviation minister 

Efforts are in progress to launch direct flights between Switzerland and Bangladesh soon with an Air Service Agreement (ASA) expected to be signed between the countries within two months, officials concerned said today (22 February).

"We expect an ASA will be signed between Bangladesh and Switzerland in the next two months. Then we will consider operating direct flights between the countries," Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan said today following a meeting with Reto Renggli, Swiss ambassador in Dhaka this afternoon.

Switzerland wants to establish direct flights to the country from Bangladesh, the Swiss envoy said during a courtesy call on the minister, reads a ministry press statement.

"It was our pleasure to work with the Bangladesh team on the air service agreement [negotiation]. The Bangladesh team has shown admirable skill in negotiation," Reto Renggli said at the meeting.

ASA are formal non-binding treaties between countries. It is not mandatory to have an ASA in place for international services to operate, but the cases where services exist without a treaty are rare.

Speaking in the meeting with Minister Faruk, the Swiss envoy also said there has been unprecedented economic development in Bangladesh in the last 15 years.

"We hope that the ongoing work of transforming Bangladesh into an aviation hub will be implemented soon. We will talk to investors from Switzerland to invest in the tourism industry of Bangladesh."

"I will undertake a fact-finding mission to visit Bangladesh for investment. Also we will send the master plan prepared for the development of tourism to the investors," he added.

In the meantime, the civil aviation minister said, "Bangladesh is located on international aviation routes, we are working to utilise this opportunity to transform Bangladesh into one of the major aviation hubs."

He said, "The development work of the aviation infrastructure of all the airports of the country including the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), runway extension and construction of a new terminal at Cox's Bazar Airport is ongoing.

"We expect the existing passenger and cargo capacity on air routes to double within a few years after the opening of the third terminal next October."

He highlighted ongoing initiatives to realise the immense potential of tourism in Bangladesh.

"A tourism master plan has already been finalised. Its implementation will start this year. We are also establishing tourism zones in several other places of the country including Cox's Bazar for foreign tourists.

"If Switzerland invests there, we will provide them with all the required facilities. Besides, we are working with the Ministry of Home Affairs on visa facilitation and introduction of e-visa."