Direct air connectivity with Dhaka set to boost medical tourism in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad international airport has added yet another international destination to its portfolio with the launch of Indigo's direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka on Monday.

Apart from boosting tourism and leisure travel between Bangladesh and Telangana, the direct flights are expected to give a fillip to medical travel to Hyderabad.

The IndiGo Flight 6E 1931 will depart from GMR Hyderabad International Airport at 12.45 p.m. The return IndiGo Flight 6E 1932 from Dhaka will arrive in Hyderabad at 6.50 p.m. The two hours forty-five minutes flight will operate between GMR Hyderabad International Airport and Dhaka twice a week - Saturday and Monday.

As per data released by the Indian tourism ministry, about 54 per cent of all international medical visitors to India for treatment are from Bangladesh. With some of the finest medical facilities in the region, Hyderabad has emerged as one of the preferred destinations for medical tourists from Bangladesh. To attract medical tourists to the city, airlines are adding new flight routes connecting to the popular international destinations catering to the medical tourists.

Pradeep Panicker, CEO- GHIAL, said: "Apart from many tourist places to visit in Hyderabad, the city has also been a major hub for medical tourism. Over the years we have seen a massive influx of medical tourists along with leisure travellers. There is a great demand for direct connectivity between Hyderabad and Dhaka. This new connectivity will not only allow Bangladeshis to explore our city and medical facilities but also give a chance for the Hyderabadis to experience the unique charm of Dhaka."

Indigo's maiden direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka took off at 12.45 p.m from GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) Ltd. Senior officials from GHIAL along with Indigo officials and other stakeholders flagged off the first flight amidst a festive atmosphere.

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, Indigo said: "We are pleased to commence new flights connecting the Indian hub of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to the cultural and economic capital of Bangladesh. Hyderabad has seen significant recovery in air traffic over the last few weeks, even surpassing the pre-covid levels on some days. Travellers from Dhaka could also use Hyderabad as the hub to connect more than 70 cities within the country. We are very confident that these flights will command high traffic, promoting leisure and medical tourism across both countries."

Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to over 70 domestic destinations, from the pre Covid period of 55 domestic destinations and 16 international destinations. Though the overall international travel was subdued during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to its earlier favorite destinations like London, Singapore, Kualalumpur, Colombo, Dubai, Qatar to name a few.

Hyderabad is the only airport in the country where all ten domestic airlines fly. For the 'Summer-22' schedule, International Airlines have filed flight slots to 20 International destinations. The international summer slots filed is 103 per cent of the pre-Covid times. Flights from Hyderabad to Thailand and Hongkong will resume soon, GHIAL stated.