China Eastern Airlines to launch Chattogram-Kunming flights to ease medical travel

Flights on the new route will make it easier for people from eastern Bangladesh to access hospitals in the southern Chinese city

China Eastern Airlines is planning to operate direct flights between Chattogram and Kunming to make medical travel to China easier for Bangladeshis.

The initiative aims to help people from the eastern region of Bangladesh access hospitals in the southern Chinese city, according to Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary to the chief advisor.

Airline officials confirmed the plan during a meeting with the Bangladeshi delegation currently visiting China, Azad told state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) on Saturday.

China has already designated four hospitals in Kunming to serve Bangladeshi patients. However, the high cost of air travel remains a major barrier.

Officials from China Eastern Airlines noted that direct flights between Chattogram and Kunming would drastically reduce travel time and expenses, making it easier for more Bangladeshis to benefit from Chinese healthcare services.

Nazmul Islam, Bangladesh’s ambassador to China, said that entire floors in Kunming’s hospitals have been allocated exclusively for treating Bangladeshi patients.

He added that medical costs in these hospitals were comparatively low.

To further facilitate travel, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh is taking steps to reduce airfares on the Dhaka-Kunming route.

Chinese authorities have also announced plans to open up more healthcare facilities for Bangladeshi patients in the future.

To offer firsthand exposure to these facilities, a group of Bangladeshi journalists will visit Kunming in April, according to BSS.

Last month, a group of Bangladeshi patients visited Kunming for the first time for medical treatment. They spoke positively about the quality of care, although many flagged the high travel costs as a concern.