Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Saturday started operating direct flights on its newly added Dhaka-Chennai-Dhaka route.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md. Mahbub Ali, virtually inaugurated the flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Biman flights will depart from Dhaka to Chennai every Saturday, Monday, and Thursday at 12:50 pm.

On the same day, the return flight from Chennai will take off at 4:15pm local time (4.45pm BdST).

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The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Aviation and Tourism, Biman Bangladesh, and the Indian High Commission.

The State Minister said that Bangladesh Biman is expanding its air service by launching flights on new routes and this is the Victory Day gift for the people of Bangladesh.

He said that many people from Bangladesh go to Chennai for medical treatment. Keeping them in mind, new flights have been launched on this route. Biman Airlines will be number one in passenger service on this route, he hoped.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma said that the friendship between Bangladesh and India is better than ever. In the coming days this relationship will be deeper, he assured.

A large number of Bangladeshis go to India each year for medical treatment. This route is a very busy route for them. It is good news that Bangladesh Biman has started flights on this route, he added.

Many medical tourists from Bangladesh travel to Chennai, India, every year for treatment. Currently, US-Bangla Airlines operates flights on this route among local airlines.

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On the inaugural day, a Biman flight left Dhaka for Chennai at 12:50pm.

Chairman of the Biman Board of Directors and former senior secretary Mustafa Kamal Uddin, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain, Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mofidur Rahman, Biman Managing Director and CEO Additional Secretary Shafiul Azim were also present at the event.