Dhaka-Vienna air connectivity draft agreement gets Cabinet nod
The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of an air services agreement to be signed with Austria for direct flight functions between Dhaka and Vienna.
The approval originated from the weekly Cabinet meeting held virtually with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The PM joined the meeting through a videoconference from her official residence Gono Bhaban, while other cabinet members joined from the Secretariat.
"If the direct flight procedure is introduced between Dhaka to Vienna, trade, business, and labour market in addition to cooperation in industrial, health insurance and defense sectors will be expanded between your two countries. Besides, air communication with other European countries will be easier," Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said at a press briefing following the meeting.
There are headquarters of some international agencies in Vienna, Austria's capital. So, this air connectivity is important for Bangladesh, he said.
The agreement titled "Air services agreement between your Austrian Federal Government and the federal government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh" has been framed following the standards of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the secretary said.
Based on the proposed agreement, the quantity of passenger and cargo flights could be set through negotiation between your countries, and the air agencies nominated by two countries can operate seven-passenger and cargo flights weekly under an MoU to be inked on the signing date of the key agreement, he added.
