Bangladesh has entered into new bilateral air transport agreements with both Switzerland and the European Union, expanding its reach in the global aviation sector.

Bangladesh and Switzerland signed a bilateral air transport agreement on June 4 in this regard, reads a press release.

This deal paves the way for direct flights between Bangladesh and Switzerland.

According to the terms of the agreement, designated airlines from both countries can operate seven passenger and seven cargo flights per week. Additionally, the agreement allows these airlines to engage in code-sharing arrangements with their own or third-country carriers.

Swiss Air International and Edelweiss Air AG have been selected to provide services from the Swiss side, while Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, and Novoair have been designated from the Bangladeshi side.

The agreement was signed by Air Vice Marshal Md. Mofidur Rahman, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), and Christian Hegner, Director General of the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation.

Just a few days later, on June 7, another agreement was signed in Belgium's Brussels, between Bangladesh and the European Union.

This bilateral air transport agreement follows an initial agreement signed on September 16, 2009. The newly finalized deal, known as the EU Horizontal Agreement, ensures uniform regulatory compliance for air transport operations with EU member states.

Due to Brexit, the United Kingdom has been excluded from this agreement. The agreement was signed by Filip Cornelis, Director of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, and Air Vice Marshal Md. Mofidur Rahman, on behalf of the EU and Bangladesh, respectively.