Bangladesh's aviation authority has rejected a proposal to grant fifth freedom rights to airlines from the United Arab Emirates. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and UAE officials held a bilateral meeting this week to discuss the possibility of fifth freedom rights and increased flight operations. Fifth freedom rights would permit UAE carriers to carry passengers between Bangladesh and third countries.
After two days of detailed negotiations, the Bangladeshi authorities have rejected UAE’s request for fifth freedom rights amid concerns it would hinder the growth of local airlines.
The meeting was attended by 22 representatives from the UAE, including officials from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad Airways and flydubai.
The meeting also focussed on increasing the flights between UAE and Bangladesh, but this demand too was rejected. UAE-based airlines currently operate around 130 weekly flights to Bangladesh and want to further their presence in a growing aviation market.
"Currently considering the operations of the 3rd terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, it will not be possible to increase the number of flights, so it has been decided to keep the current rate of flights at that level. The proposals to increase flights would be reviewed subject to future capacity expansion of airports. The third terminal is expected to open in 2024 and till then the airport won't be able to handle a boost in flight operations,” CAAB said in a statement.