Lack of aircraft and and the duty of carrying pilgrims to Mecca created chaos in scheduled flights for Biman Bangladesh. Over 2,000 passengers were stranded over the last ten days.
DHAKA- It has limited resources with only five aircraft in its fleet. As they were most of them put into Hajj Pilgrimage since last week, Biman, Bangladesh national carrier, experienced a disatrous PR exercize with thousand of passengers being stranded at both Dhaka and Chittagong airports since a week reported all over the last week, Bangladesh daily newspaper the “Daily Star”.
It generated heavy protests in the country with some MPs asking for the removal of Jamal Uddin Ahmed, chairman of board of directors of Biman Bangladesh Airlines held responsible for the recent ‘never-seen-before’ collapse of flight schedule of Biman for different international destination. Over the last week, flights were cancelled without notice to London, the Gulf, Nepal and India leaving passengers struggling for alternatives. Last week, a group of passengers angered by flight delays and lack of food and accommodation vandalised Biman airport counters at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as well as Biman agency in Chittagong.
Biman is struggling to find replacement aircraft following the removal of a Boeing 747 from its fleet. The leased Boeing 747 was taken away by the owning company on September 12 a week before the end of the contract. An Airbus on overhaul in Singapore and due to arrive on September 15 was still not back to Dhaka last week, according to Biman sources. The chaos is due to finish soon, according to M Shahnewaj, Biman Director Marketing and Sales to the Daily Star. The airline is due to receive two other leased aircraft, a 313-seater DC-10 and a leased 272-seater Boeing 767.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
