EPB holds meeting to facilitate export shipments by air

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) held a meeting with the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Biman Airlines, and foreign airlines to discuss smoothing of export shipments by air, air freight management, and other issues.

Md Anwar Hossain, EPB vice-chairman, presided over the meeting held yesterday (22 September) at the conference room of the EPB, according to a press release.

The meeting identified air transport as one of the most important sub-sectors of logistics management and highlighted the existing problems at airports such as explosive detection scanners, shortage of warehouse space, unregulated spot prices, and inadequate airport infrastructure to facilitate export trade, the release said.

Besides, the cargo village at the third terminal, cool chain management, and other relevant facilities were discussed.

Keeping in view the inadequacy of the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, discussions were made to ensure the availability of cargo handling facilities at Sylhet and Chattogram airports to facilitate export operations by air.

The meeting highlighted that if responsibilities such as explosive detection machines and warehouse management are given to Bangladesh Biman, it would bring dynamism to airline transportation, one of the sub-sectors of logistics management.