Dhaka, June 13 (EFE).- The United States on Thursday set a condition of achieving the highest safety standard for Bangladesh's state airline, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, to resume its direct flights to New York.

Biman operated flights to New York City from Dhaka between 1993 and 2006, catering to the many Bangladeshis who lived and studied in the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) refused permission for Biman to enter its airspace in 2006, considering its DC-10 aircraft 'risky' for flights on international routes.

The US authorities later downgraded Bangladesh to the second category in terms of safety standards, which barred Biman from resuming its New York flights despite it replacing age-old DC-10 aircraft with Boeing and Dash models.

FAA Attache Daniel Jacob visited Bangladesh on June 9-12 and met with the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the two countries discussed the possibility of resuming direct flights.

According to a statement from the US Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday, Bangladesh needs to achieve a "Category 1" safety rating to make sure that Dhaka's main airport and Biman meet relevant security requirements for direct flights between the USA and Bangladesh.

FAA will carry out an International Aviation Safety Assessment before providing the rating, provided it receives a request from the Bangladesh authorities, the US Embassy said, adding that such a request has not been made yet.

Prior to allowing direct flights between the USA and Bangladesh, the US Transportation Security Administration will also conduct a separate assessment, according to the US Embassy.

Category 1 rating requires international safety standards and recommended practices, such as personnel licensing, operation of aircraft, and airworthiness of aircraft, in line with the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention.

Biman currently operates direct flights to 23 destinations, including Toronto, Rome, London, and Manchester, from Dhaka.

In addition to that, the airlines operate flights from Dhaka to eight domestic airports, company spokesperson Bushra Islam told EFE.

The company has a fleet of 21 aircraft, all of them Boeing and Dash models. EFE

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