Biman Bangladesh Airlines has begun flight operations on the Dhaka-Medina route.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali inaugurated the Dhaka-Medina-Dhaka flight BG 37 by cutting a ribbon at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 1pm on Monday (Oct 28).
The state minister expected that Biman will also operate on the Dhaka-New York route from next year.
"We are also discussing about operating on the Dhaka-Toronto route," he told reporters after inaugurating the Dhaka-Medina flight.
The maiden flight to Medina left at 1:15pm on Monday, with 254 passengers on board.
It is scheduled to reach Medina at 5pm. The return flight BG 38 will arrive in Dhaka with 107 passengers on board at 4:25am on Tuesday.
The national flag carrier will fly on the Dhaka-Medina route three days a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
According to Biman, flight operations on the Chittagong-Medina route once a week are set to begin later this year.
Among others, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mohibul Haque, and Chairman of the Board of Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Air Marshal (retd) Muhammad Enamul Bari were present on the occasion.