Bismillah Airlines has appointed Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd (Hactl) to handle its newly-launched twice-weekly B747F services from Dhaka.

The flights are the Bangladesh-based airline’s first scheduled service to Hong Kong.

Hactl will provide ramp handling, cargo terminal operations, crew transportation and air cargo documentation.

The flights will be marketed in Hong Kong by general sales agent Smart-Trans.

Inbound cargo to Hong Kong is likely to include fruit, seafood, marine products, and textile products for which Bangladesh is well known.

The country is also developing its manufacturing industries.

MA Mannan, Managing Director of Bismillah Airlines said: "We are excited to launch this new service to Hong Kong, which is a strategic step in our country’s international trade plans."

Hactl Chief Executive Mark Whitehead added: “The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor is a component of the Belt and Road initiative, and all additional transport links which are introduced to serve it will benefit from the increasing cooperation between the countries it connects. We congratulate Bismillah Airlines on this major and visionary step in its development.”