The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said $1.7 billion in airline funds remain blocked globally, with Bangladesh accounting for $196 million as of October, 2024. This figure shows a significant improvement from $320 million reported in April, showing progress in reducing barriers for airlines in the country. Bangladesh ranks third on IATA's list of countries with the highest blocked airline funds, following Pakistan ($311 million) and the XAF Zone countries in Central Africa ($235 million), according to IATA report published on Monday. Blocked airline funds refer to money that an airline is required to set aside and cannot use for other business purposes, typically due to regulatory requirements, legal agreements, or financial obligations. Despite the progress, IATA said that the Central Bank of Bangladesh must continue prioritising airlines’ access to foreign exchange to meet international treaty obligations. Globally, nine countries, including Bangladesh, account for 83% of the blocked funds, totaling $1.43 billion. Pakistan, at the top of the list, reduced its blocked funds from $411 million in April to $311 million in October, citing delays caused by tax and audit exemptions. Strong laws, robust taxation 'musts' for success in anti-tobacco campaign While Bangladesh made strides, IATA pointed out an increase in blocked funds in regions like the XAF Zone (+$84 million) and Mozambique (+$84 million). Africa remains a significant concern, holding nearly 59% of the global blocked funds, approximately $1 billion. “Governments must remove all barriers for airlines to repatriate their revenues from ticket sales and other activities in accordance with international agreements and treaty obligations,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “No country wants to lose aviation connectivity, which drives economic prosperity. But if airlines cannot repatriate their revenues, they cannot be expected to provide a service. Economies will suffer if connectivity collapses. So, it is in everyone’s interest, including governments, to ensure that airlines can repatriate their funds smoothly,” said Walsh.  

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Bangladesh to pay $320 million funds blocked by the government for 40 months. At the same time, Pakistan was also asked to clear its dues of $411 million which has also been held for 40 months. IATA Member Certificate handed over to US-Bangla Airlines Globally, blocked funds have decreased by 28% to $1.8 billion since December 2023. This improvement is largely due to significant clearances in Nigeria and Egypt. However, airlines in both countries faced losses due to currency devaluations, according to a media release on Sunday. The situation is particularly concerning in Bangladesh and Pakistan, IATA said, where airlines are unable to access a combined $731 million in revenue. IATA Director General Willie Walsh urged both countries to prioritize the release of these funds to ensure continued air connectivity, said the release. US-Bangla gets recognition of IATA Airlines “Pakistan and Bangladesh must release the $731 million in blocked funds immediately,” said Walsh. “In Bangladesh, the solution is in the hands of the Central Bank, which must prioritize aviation’s access to foreign exchange in line with international treaty obligations. The solution in Pakistan is finding efficient alternatives to the system of audit and tax exemption certificates, which cause long processing delays,” he added. Nigeria's success story provides a blueprint for resolving this issue. With government intervention, 98% of the previously blocked funds have been cleared, significantly improving the situation for airlines operating in the country. Travel momentum builds as restrictions are lifted: IATA Eight countries are responsible for the lion's share of the remaining blocked funds, with a combined total of $1.6 billion representing 87% of the issue. Pakistan tops the list, followed closely by Bangladesh. Other significant contributors include Algeria ($286 million), XAF zone countries ($151 million), Ethiopia ($149 million), Lebanon ($129 million), Eritrea ($75 million), and Zimbabwe ($69 million). These figures highlight the specific challenges faced by airlines operating in these regions.

The 2024 edition of Henley Passport Index – the most widely-accepted rating of global travel documents – places the Bangladeshi passport at 97th position, down one place from the last quarter of 2023. The latest edition of the Passport Index — published on Tuesday — features a total of 104 spots with some countries’ passports sharing the same ranking.  Bangladesh ranked 97th on the index, sharing the spot with North Korea — a country virtually isolated from the rest of the world. The ranking is based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa. Also read: Bangladesh climbs 5 spots in latest passport ranking, still behind Sri Lanka and Libya According to the 2024 Henley Passport Index, a Bangladeshi passport entitles visa-free travel to 42 destinations. In South Asia, the Bangladeshi passport fared better compared to that of Nepal (98), Pakistan (101) and Afghanistan (104).  Maldives’ passport ranked at 58, becoming the strongest in South Asia with visa-free access to 94 countries. India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka’s passports ranked at 80th, 87th and 96th respectively. An unprecedented six countries share the top spot for the most desirable travel documents in 2024. Citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain now have access to visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to a remarkable 194 destinations worldwide.  This figure marks the highest count recorded since the Henley Passport Index began monitoring global travel freedoms 19 years ago, according to CNN. Also read: Bangladesh e-Passport Information Update: Step by Step Procedure, Related Costs Apart from those 6 countries who share the top spot, other countries sharing the top 5 rankings in the Henley Passport Index are: Finland, South Korea, Sweden in the second spot with visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to 193 countries; Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands sharing the third spot with visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to 192 countries; Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal United Kingdom in fourth spot with visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to 191 countries; Greece, Malta, and Switzerland in the fifth spot with visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to 190 destinations.  Countries sharing the bottom 5 rankings as per the passport index are: Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.  The Henley Passport Index, the only one of its kind based on unique data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), has historical data going back 19 years. The database lists 227 travel destinations and 199 passports. The Henley Passport Index is updated every quarter, and is regarded as the go-to resource for global citizens and sovereign states for determining where a passport ranks on the scale of global mobility. Also read: Bangladesh passport visa free countries for 2023

The 2023 edition of the Henley Passport Index – the most widely-accepted rating of global travel documents – places Bangladesh’s passport at 101st position, up three places from last year. The latest edition of the Passport Index features a total of 109 spots with some countries’ passports sharing the same ranking. Bangladesh shares the 101st position with Kosovo. In 2022, Bangladesh ranked 104th. Interestingly enough, passports of heavily sanctioned Iran, economically devastated Lebanon and Sri Lanka, and conflict-ridden Sudan have fared better compared to that of Bangladesh – at 99th and 100th (shared) positions respectively. Read more: Bangladesh Passport Renewal Process: How to renew MRP, Handwritten Passport According to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, a Bangladeshi passport entitles visa-free travel to 41 destinations. In South Asia, Bangladeshi passport is in a better position compared to those of Nepal (at 103), Pakistan (106) and Afghanistan (109). At 61, Maldives’ passport is in the best position in the region. Indian passport ranks at 85 and Bhutan’s at 90. The top 5 ranking passports according to the Henley Index are: Japan at 1, allowing citizens visa-free access to 193 destinations; Singapore and South Korea at 2; Germany and Spain sharing the 3rd spot; Finland, Italy, Luxembourg at 4; and Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden at 5. Read more: Travelling 100 countries with the 9th weakest passport in the world The bottom 5 ranking passports as per the index are: Afghanistan at 109, Iraq at 108, Syria at 107, Pakistan at 106 and Yemen at 105. The Henley Passport Index, the only one of its kind based on unique data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), has historical data going back 18 years. The database lists 227 travel destinations and 199 passports. The index is updated every quarter, and is regarded as the go-to resource for global citizens and sovereign states for determining where a passport ranks on the scale of global mobility. Read More: E-Passport for Children in Bangladesh: Application process, necessary documents Karim Waheed is the Digital Editor at UNB.

Private carrier Air Astra has started preparations to undergo the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) operational safety audit (IOSA) before starting its operations. The airline started a five-day IOSA airline auditor training at its training centre in Dhaka Monday. Imran Asif, CEO and accountable manager), Captain Farhat Jamil, head of flight operations and training, Ghazi Mahmud Iqbal, head of engineering, Md Shafiqul Alam, head of quality assurance, Zafor Uzzaman, head of ground operations and DGR, Captain Khalid Shams, chief of safety, and Hasib ul Alam, head of airline security, attended the training. Also Read: TEI GET to promote renewable energy in Bangladesh The IOSA programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain their membership. Air Astra's plan to launch operations by Q1 2022 was affected by the aircraft leasing market uncertainties amid the pandemic.  Read Flights at Sylhet airport cancelled for 3 days from Friday The airline has secured 3x ATR 72-600 aircraft on lease and is on track to begin commercial flight operations across the domestic network in Bangladesh in September 2022. French-built ATR 72-600 aircraft are the most advanced turboprop aircraft in production today, according to a media statement.

Global air passenger traffic in 2020 sank a record 65.9 percent from the year before amid tighter border controls due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a rebound to around half of 2019 levels expected this year, an industry group said.

The position of Bangladeshi passports slipped two places to 101 in the Henley Passport Index 2020.

Covid-19 pandemic grounded flights across the world, disrupting air communication and forcing the aviation industry to count unprecedented losses.