Sylhet: Water cannons spouted as the inaugural freighter flight took off Sylhet's Osmani International Airport with full of cargo as part of Bangladesh's response to India's abrupt suspension of third-country transshipment. A chartered Airbus A330-300 freighter operated by Galistair Aviation departed Sylhet airport Sunday evening, carrying 60 tonnes of readymade garments (RMG) to Zaragoza of Spain via Dubai while Biman Bangladesh Airlines will provide ground-handling services for the operation.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Commerce and Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin, while inaugurating the cargo flight operation, expressed that the new cargo operation enhances the country's cargo handling capacity and addresses gaps in export facilities. The government has initiated steps to counter challenges posed by India's ban on exporting Bangladeshi goods through their airports.
The adviser also mentioned efforts to revise civil aviation and ground-handling tariffs to make air cargo services more cost-effective, stating that the cargo cost would be reduced to be cheaper than transshipment through India. Bangladesh Ambassador to Mexico M. Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey and Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan were special guests at the event, with the Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan presiding.
Ambassador Ansarey emphasized the significance of the operation, stating it represents Bangladesh's capability to shape its own future, with goods being sent directly to the global market from Sylhet. CAAB Chairman Bhuiyan announced plans to begin cargo operations from Chattagram airport soon and from Cox's Bazar airport by June, initially operating two chartered freighter flights weekly from Sylhet, with potential for increased frequency based on demand.
Bhuiyan revealed that CAAB and Biman have deployed additional manpower at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's (HSIA's) cargo terminal to boost capacity ahead of the Third Terminal's opening. He noted that Sylhet's upgraded cargo terminal already has significant handling capacity, and the existing infrastructure will soon handle two to three times more cargo volume.
Leading cargo handlers from Dhaka and members of Sylhet's business community were invited to the ceremony to encourage them to export through Osmani International Airport. Apart from Sylhet and Chattagram, the newly built Third Terminal at HSIA is expected to increase Bangladesh's export cargo capacity from 200,000 tonnes to 546,000 tonnes annually, featuring a 36,000-square-metre dedicated cargo zone.
India's recent decision to end a four-year arrangement allowing Bangladeshi goods, primarily garments, to transit via Indian airports has strained Bangladeshi exporters. Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA) reports that nearly 600 tonnes or 18 percent of weekly garment air exports were routed via India.
Bangladesh currently exports around 3,400 tonnes of garments by air each week, with HSIA's cargo village originally designed for 300 tonnes per day but often handling over 1,200 tonnes during peak periods. Biman's passenger flights account for 16/17 percent of HSIA's annual cargo volume of approximately 175,000 tonnes. Major airlines like Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines operate dedicated cargo flights exclusively from HSIA.