Barishal : Country's largest private carrier US-Bangla Airlines suspended flights on Dhaka-Barishal route effective September 7 due to commercial issues following passenger crisis.

The airline said the decision was taken temporarily after reviewing air passenger statistics. However, in the coming winter season, US-Bangla plans to resume flights on the route.

Earlier, another private carrier NOVOAIR suspended flight services on the route due to the same reason, leaving the flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines as the only carrier to currently operate flights from Dhaka to Barishal and vice versa.

It may be mentioned here that US-Bangla Airlines had been operating flights between Dhaka and Barishal for 15 years. Until the recent suspension, the airline used to fly daily on the Dhaka-Barishal route.

Even a year ago, daily 11 flights used to be operated on Dhaka-Barishal route including all the local airlines of the country.

However, after the inauguration of Padma Bridge, air traffic between Dhaka and Barishal has reduced, making the route a loss commercially. This had been forcing private airlines to suspend air connectivity between Dhaka and Barishal as US-Bangla became the latest entrant to cancel flights on the route.