Biman Bangladesh Airlines has decided to reduce the number of flights on the Dhaka-Abu Dhabi route after Bangladeshi migrant workers were denied entry to the capital of the United Arab Emirates amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Abu Dhabi is denying entry to Bangladeshi passengers with employment visas. That’s why it's not possible for Biman Bangladesh Airlines to take passengers with employment visas there at this moment,” the state-own airline said in a statement on Wednesday.
The flag carrier has slashed the number of flights to two per week until August 31, reports bdnews24.com citing the statement.
It will revert to the usual six flights a week once the Abu Dhabi authorities agree to grant entry to Bangladeshi passengers with employment visas, Biman added.
More than 50 passengers with valid visas were sent back from Abu Dhabi after the airline resumed commercial fights to the UAE following a four-month suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak. All the passengers had COVID-19 clearance certificates. Therefore, it is still unclear as to why they were turned away.