Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam announced that the direct flight between Dhaka and New York will not begin before 2028. She explained that it will take at least five years for new Boeing aircraft to join the Biman Bangladesh Airlines fleet. In the meantime, the government plans to lease aircraft from Airbus to maintain operations. She made these remarks while speaking to journalists after inaugurating a workshop on the National Civil Aviation Master Plan at a hotel in Dhaka on Sunday.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat added that Prime Minister Tareq Rahman is scheduled to inaugurate the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 16. He expressed hope that the Japanese contractor will complete the construction before the inauguration date.

The workshop was organized to formulate the country’s first integrated National Civil Aviation Master Plan, with participation from senior officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry, CAAB, the armed forces, and other relevant agencies.