Biman Bangladesh Airlines , partly transcribed from
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
into
BengaliBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and the other way around) is the
flag carrierA flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
airline of
BangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Its main hub is at Shahjalal International Airport in
DhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, and also operates flights from
Shah Amanat International AirportShah Amanat International Airport , named after an Islamic saint, is an international airport serving Bangladesh's south-eastern port city of Chittagong and the Bangladesh Air Force. It is Bangladesh's second largest airport...
in
ChittagongChittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, earning revenue from the connecting service to Osmani International Airport in
SylhetSylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
. Biman's operations are assigned the IATA airline code
BG and the ICAO airline code
BBC, while its callsign is
BANGLADESH. The carrier provides international passenger and cargo service to Asia and Europe, as well as major domestic routes. It has air service agreements with 42 countries, but flies to only 16. The airline was wholly owned and managed by the government of Bangladesh until 23 July 2007, when it was transformed into the country's largest
public limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
by the
Caretaker Government of BangladeshThe Caretaker Government of Bangladesh is a form of government system in which the country is ruled by a selected government for an interim period during transition from one government to another, after the completion tenure of the former. As the outgoing government hands over their power, the...
. The airline's headquarters,
Balaka Bhaban, is located in Kurmitola, Dhaka.
Created in February 1972, Biman enjoyed an internal monopoly in the Bangladesh aviation industry until 1996. In the decades following its founding, the airline expanded its fleet and destinations, but it was adversely affected by corruption and mishaps. At its peak, Biman operated flights to 29 international destinations as far away as
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to the west and
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to the east. The airline has suffered heavy financial losses, and has a reputation for poor service because of regular flight cancellations and delays caused by its ageing fleet. For safety reasons, some of Biman's long-haul aircraft have been banned in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Annual
HajjThe Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
flights, transporting non-resident Bangladeshi workers and migrants, and the activities of its subsidiaries, form an important part of the carrier's business. Rising oil prices have created additional pressure on the airline's finances, which is widely reported to have failed to meet its payment obligations to the state-owned petroleum corporation,
BPCBangladesh Petroleum Corporation is a government agency in Bangladesh to import, distribute and market oil and petroleum products. Founded in 1976 by Presidential Ordinance, it had an annual import level of as much as 29 million barrels as of 2009....
. Under
SkytraxSkytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
's five-star rating systems, Biman merits two stars. The carrier is currently facing competition from a number of local private airlines as well as some international carriers, which offer greater reliability and service standards, targeting the country's air transport sector which is experiencing an 8% annual growth rate, owing to a large number of non-resident Bangladeshis.
Since becoming a public limited company, the airline has reduced staff and begun to modernise its fleet. Biman has made a deal with
BoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
for 10 new aircraft, along with options for 10 more. The carrier is in the process of leasing some aircraft in the interim to restart flights to some of its previous destinations in Asia, Europe, and North America.
History
Biman Bangladesh Airlines was established on 4 January 1972 as Bangladesh's national airline under the Bangladesh Biman Ordinance (Presidential Order No. 126). The initiative to launch the flag carrier was taken by 2,500 former employees, including ten
Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
commanders and seven other pilots of
Pakistan International AirlinesPakistan International Airlines Corporation commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan. The airline has its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27...
, who submitted a proposal to the government on 31 December 1971 following the independence of Bangladesh. The airline was initially called Air Bangladesh International but was soon changed to its current name.
In modern
BengaliBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, the word বিমান
biman refers to "aeroplane", originating from the
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word
vimānaVimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
, a name given to a flying machine mentioned in ancient
VedicThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
literature. The logo, painted on the tail, is a stylised white stork (বলাকা
bôlaka) inside a red circle. The initial livery was a dark blue line extending across the aircraft along the windows and covering the tail section. This was replaced in the 1980s by dark green and red lines, matching the colours of the Bangladesh flag, and has remained so for over two decades. In 2010, Biman went through a rebranding exercise and unveiled a new logo and livery which was applied to its first leased Boeing 777 aircraft. However, following elections later that year, Biman was forced to revert back to the original branding as the new brand image was not endorsed by the incoming government. The
bôlaka has also given its name to the Biman headquarters, the
Balaka Bhaban (বলাকা ভবন
bôlaka bhôban, Stork Building), and a landmark sculpture in Dhaka depicting storks is in front of Biman's former headquarters, the
Biman Bhavan in the Motijheel Commercial Area in
DhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
.
On , Biman started its domestic service on the Dhaka–Chittagong, Dhaka–Jessore and Dhaka–Sylhet routes with a
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
vintage Douglas Dakota and
Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, both gifts from the
Bangladesh Air ForceThe Bangladesh Air Force , is the air arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh Air Force currently employs more than 22,000 personnel including 600+ Pilots.-History:...
. On , Biman experienced its first accident when the Douglas DC-3 crashed near Dhaka during a test flight, killing all five
crewmemberAircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
s. A
Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
was immediately leased to keep the domestic service running. On , Biman started its international operations with a weekly flight to London using a Boeing 707 chartered from
British CaledonianBritish Caledonian was a private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, operating out of Gatwick Airport in the 1970s and 1980s...
. The short haul fleet was supplemented by a
Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
from India on ; the aircraft was employed on a daily scheduled flight between
KolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(Calcutta) and Dhaka on . Three additional Fokker F27s were acquired during March and September of that year. In the first year of operation, Biman operated 1,079 flights carrying just over 380,000 passengers.
Four Fokker F27s joined the fleet in 1973, enabling Biman to double the frequency of the Kolkata flight to a twice daily service. A Boeing 707 was added to the fleet in September and the flight to London became twice-weekly, while a Chittagong–Kolkata flight also began operating. In 1974, operations were extended to
Kathmandu (February),
BangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
(November) and
DubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
(December). In 1976, Biman sold two of its Fokker F27s and bought another Boeing 707 to extend international services to
Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
,
KarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and
MumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
was added to Biman's list of international destinations, when a third Boeing 707 was purchased in February 1977, followed by
JeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
,
DohaDoha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
and
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
the following year, which also saw the purchase of its fourth Boeing 707. In 1977, Biman was converted into a public sector corporation to be governed by a board of directors appointed by the government. The airline
broke evenIn economics & business, specifically cost accounting, the break-even point is the point at which cost or expenses and revenue are equal: there is no net loss or gain, and one has "broken even"...
for the first time in 1977–78, and made a profit the following year. International destinations expanded to include
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
,
AthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
,
MuscatMuscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
and
TripoliTripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in 1979, followed by
YangonYangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
,
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and
DhahranDhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
in 1980.
In 1983, three Douglas DC-10s joined the fleet and the airline started to phase out the Boeing 707s. The flight network expanded further to include
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
(1983),
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1984) and
Bahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
(1986). On 4 August 1984, Biman faced its worst accident when a Fokker F27 flying in from Chittagong crashed near Dhaka, killing all 49 on board, including Captain Kaniz Fatema Roksana, the airline's first female pilot. The long haul fleet was then supplemented by the purchase of two new
Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
s in 1996, followed by the addition of two more in 2000, from Singapore Airlines and Air Jamaica, and another in 2003.
In the 2005–06 fiscal year, Biman carried 1.15 million passengers, a growth of 70% over the previous decade. With the rise of private domestic carriers in Bangladesh, however, Biman's market share for domestic passengers dropped by 35% over the previous ten years' average, with only 162,000 passengers travelling with Biman in the domestic sector in the 2005–06 fiscal year. During the same period, Biman reported its biggest annual loss of over US$120 million (
BDTThe Taka is the currency of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country controls the issuance of the currency except one taka and two taka notes, which are the responsibility of Ministry of Finance of the government of Bangladesh...
8.3 billion as of 2010), with a US$100 million (BDT 6.9 billion as of 2010) loss reported the following year. Biman also fell behind on millions of dollars in payments to its fuel supplier, the
Bangladesh Petroleum CorporationBangladesh Petroleum Corporation is a government agency in Bangladesh to import, distribute and market oil and petroleum products. Founded in 1976 by Presidential Ordinance, it had an annual import level of as much as 29 million barrels as of 2009....
.
Management
The airline was wholly owned by the Bangladeshi government through the Bangladesh Biman Corporation since its inception. In 1977, Biman was converted into a public sector corporation which afforded Biman limited autonomy, led by a government-appointed board of directors. The authorised share capital was increased to BDT 2 billion in 1987, and Biman was transformed into a
public limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
, the largest in Bangladesh, in 2007.
During the late 1980s,
Hossain Mohammad ErshadLieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad is a Bangladeshi politician who was President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990. Previously, he was Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army and then Chief Martial Law Administrator in 1982....
, President of Bangladesh at the time, served as president of Biman. After an early period of expansion and growth, Biman entered an era of nose-diving profits and slow growth, exacerbated by incompetent and corrupt management, who padded purchases, falsified repair bills, and kept unprofitable routes in operation for political reasons. Research conducted in 1996 found that Biman had 5,253 non-flying personnel, 30 percent more than
Singapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
, a carrier who operated a fleet almost ten times the size of Biman's. The report described Biman as "poorly managed, overstaffed, undercapitalized, and subject to excessive political interference in its day-to-day management."
In the 1992–93 fiscal year, accounts under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism revealed that BDT 22 million in tax was not paid to the government. The audit carried out in 1999, also showed that Biman was owed BDT 2.2 million by travel agents from the proceeds of ticket sales, most likely with the collusion of Biman officials. Additionally, BDT 2.4 million was overpaid as incentive commissions to the sales agents in violation of Biman policies. In 2007, the
caretaker governmentThe Caretaker Government of Bangladesh is a form of government system in which the country is ruled by a selected government for an interim period during transition from one government to another, after the completion tenure of the former. As the outgoing government hands over their power, the...
launched an anti-corruption drive which saw the arrest of Shamim Iskander, the brother of ex-prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and a former Biman
flight engineerFlight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
, on multiple corruption charges. This was shortly followed by the forced retirement of 35 other employees and officials, some of whom were close aides of Iskander.
Privatisation
Faced with growing losses from the late 1990s onwards, the government offered 40 percent of Biman to foreign airlines in 2004, hoping a buyer would take over the management of the carrier. However, the proposal demanded that many decision-making rights remain within the Bangladesh government, and the offer was ignored by outside airlines. A similar initiative in 1998 cost Biman $1.6 million in consultancy fees with no positive results.
In May 2007, the caretaker government approved plans to turn Biman into a public limited company with shareholdings split between seven public sector organisations. As a part of the restructuring, the government put in place a
voluntary retirement schemeA golden handshake is a clause in an executive employment contract that provides the executive with a significant severance package in the case that the executive loses his or her job through firing, restructuring, or even scheduled retirement...
(VRS) to reduce the man-equipment ratio (MER) of 367:1 (ratio of manpower to aircraft). The industry average at the time was 200:1, and other Asian airlines operated with MERs of about 150:1. The VRS provided compensation based on length of service, at a cost to the government of over $40 million borrowed from the
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. Biman management expected to reduce its workforce by 1,600, but 2,162 applications were received, many from employees who expected to be dismissed with little or no severance pay if the quota was not met. Biman accepted 1,877 applications and affirmed that key personnel would not be allowed to leave the organisation via VRS.
On 23 July 2007, Biman Bangladesh Airlines became the largest public limited company in Bangladesh. Earlier suggestions that the airline should be renamed Bangladesh Airlines were rejected. The government is the sole shareholder of the 1.5 billion shares, but intends to offer 49 percent to the private sector while retaining majority ownership. The previous managing director, Dr. Abdul Momen, was appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director of the new organisation. The six directors were appointed from the ministries of energy, commerce, finance, civil aviation, foreign affairs, and the cabinet division, with the cabinet secretary taking on the role as
chairThe chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
man of the board of directors. The six secretaries and a joint secretary to the civil aviation ministry have been made the seven shareholders of the new PLC. In September 2008, the government appointed Air Commodore Zahed Kuddus (retd) to replace Dr. Momen as CEO. From 2002 to 2005 Kuddus had been chair of the
Civil Aviation Authority of BangladeshThe Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh functions as the regulatory body for all aviation related activities in Bangladesh. It is also the aeronautical service provider and is responsible for safe, expeditious and efficient flow of air traffic within the Flight Information Region bounded by...
(CAAB), before which he had held various posts in the Bangladesh Air Force.
Following the privatisation, an initiative was launched by ex-Biman employees, who left the organisation via the VRS, to set up a competing airline. Names proposed for the airline included Air Bangla International, Biman Employees Airlines and Balaka. They were joined by previous managing directors of Biman, along with the former president of the Bangladesh Airline Pilots' Association. However, nothing further was heard of regarding the proposed venture.
Services
Biman is notable for disruptions to its flight schedule and poor customer service. In 2007, Biman faced strong criticism from major international airports including
London Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
and
Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
for its failure to maintain flight schedules. Heathrow Airport operator BAA wrote to Biman providing evidence which showed Biman had not achieved the minimum 80% usage of its allocated landing slots at Heathrow, as required by EU and
International Air Transport AssociationThe International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
(IATA) regulations, during the summer of 2007. Biman should, therefore, not expect slot allocations at Heathrow for the summer of 2008 and should look to
Stansted-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
or
GatwickGatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
airports if it wished to continue serving London. Following discussions with BAA, however, Biman obtained landing slots for the summer of 2008 on condition that it achieved 80% usage. Delays continued unabated and in September 2008, Biman's Dhaka–London direct flight utilising a DC-10 aircraft was diverted and landed at Gatwick when it did not have sufficient fuel to remain in a holding pattern over Heathrow following arrival over three hours after the scheduled time. In a 10 September 2008 article published in
The TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Biman was labelled the worst performer for punctuality at Heathrow, with flights delayed on average by three hours.
In 2008, the United Nations advised its staff not to fly with Biman, citing both safety and security concerns and Biman's unreliable flight schedules. It was made clear that UN staff who flew with Biman did so at their own risk, and would be ineligible to make claims on insurance. Biman's then newly appointed managing director said he was unaware of the UN directive, but admitted that Biman did face problems in managing its flight schedules. He expected the situation to improve with the procurement of aircraft in the coming months.
Flight classes and amenities
A two-class service (J and Y) is operated on Biman's wide-body airliners and a single class service is available on the smaller aircraft. The Maslin Executive Class cabin on its Airbus A310s is set up in a 2–3–2 configuration while the setup on the Douglas DC-10-30s is a more spacious 2–2–2 configuration. The economy class cabins are set up in a typical 2–5–2 configuration.
English and Bengali language newspapers are available on board the aircraft along with Biman's in-flight magazine,
Digonto (Horizon), which is published quarterly. It contains mainly English content and has an emphasis on tourist destinations in Bangladesh and elsewhere reachable by Biman.
In-flight entertainment aboard Biman aircraft is rated "very poor" by
SkytraxSkytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
. Biman's service as a whole is reflected in its two-star ranking (out of five), which is indicative of the poor standard of service provided by the airline that falls below the industry average. The Douglas DC-10-30s are equipped with a projector in each cabin, while the Airbus A310s have monitors that drop down from the ceiling below the luggage racks in the center of the aircraft. While other airlines using modern aircraft are able to provide more personal in-flight experiences via seatback LCD screens, Biman's ageing fleet has maintained the standard equipment available when the planes were manufactured.
Biman operates a frequent flyer programme which awards customers a free round trip flight on production of ticket stubs for ten round trip journeys on Biman. The free ticket is for the passenger's most often travelled route. Journeys on local routes are excluded from the offer.
An agreement was signed with
AmadeusAmadeus is a computer reservations system owned by the Amadeus IT Group with headquarters in Madrid, Spain. The central database is located at Erding, Germany. The development center is located at Sophia Antipolis, France...
in 2007 to upgrade Biman's ticketing system with an
e-ticketingAn electronic ticket is a digital ticket. It may be issued by an airline, in road, urban or rail public transport, and in entertainment.-Airline ticket:...
solution to comply with IATA rules, which set out a deadline of 31 December 2007 for all member airlines to switch over their ticketing systems. E-ticketing has enabled major airlines to provide online check-in facilities, reducing the need to queue up at check-in counters. However, Biman has not made any attempts to improve customer service through the adoption of e-ticketing, although it has been able to reduce its own costs. In 2005, Biman had briefly stopped using the Amadeus ticketing system when the government suspended the operation of a local Amadeus subsidiary following a court order, after allegations of money laundering. The suspension, however, lasted only a month, and was lifted after the writ was appealed in the High Court.
Biman Cargo
Biman also operates a cargo service using the cargo holds of its passenger aircraft to ship freight to international destinations. It has established Cargo Village at Shahjalal International Airport where the cargo is packaged and labelled before being loaded onto its aircraft.
While the air cargo industry in Bangladesh grew by 16.5% in the fiscal year 2003–04, Biman's cargo operations remained stagnant when private operators such as
Bismillah AirlinesBismillah Airlines is an airline based in Bangladesh. It is an enterprise within the Mollah Group of Industries, an industrial and export house of Bangladesh and is the first private sector international airline holding AOC/ATO Licenses to operate regular freighter services as an international...
, Best Aviation and
Air BangladeshAir Bangladesh was an airline based in Bangladesh. It was founded in 2000 and dissolved in 2005.-Code data:*IATA Code: B9*ICAO Code: BGD*Callsign: AIR BANGLA-Fleet:...
produced a 108% growth from the previous year. The private operators increased their share of the cargo market by 10.6% and were responsible for handling 24% of the total 99,000 tonnes of cargo at the expense of both Biman and foreign airlines which saw a reduction in their shares by 4.6% and 6.0% respectively. Foreign airlines handled 47% of the total cargo with Biman taking on the remaining 29%.
As with its passenger service and management, corruption has also been rife at Biman Cargo. An investigation in 2004 uncovered irregularities in a number of Biman's Middle East operations which deprived the government of millions of dollars in revenue. Biman officials in Dubai were found to have been "extending special privileges" to the main freight handler in exchange for bribes. The smuggling of foreign currency and gold bars is reported to have taken place at the Biman Cargo Village by Biman and CAAB employees. A number of arrests were made but the perpetrators evaded punishment through lack of evidence and pressure from the CAAB union.
Destinations
Biman has air service agreements with 43 countries, but only operates its routes to 16, leaving room for expansion for which it lacks aircraft. The airline operates flights to several destinations in the Middle East, some destinations in South and South East Asia and four destinations in Europe (London, Manchester, Milan and Rome). Foreign airlines are encroaching on Biman's routes, particularly the lucrative London–Dhaka route, on which traditionally only Biman and
British AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
(before it cancelled this route in 2009) have operated direct flights. In 2005,
Air IndiaAir India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
commenced a route which permitted flights between London and Dhaka without requiring a transit flight which has occupied the space freed up by Biman when it reduced London–Dhaka flights. New airlines are also hoping to cash in on Biman's shortfall:
United AirwaysUnited Airways is an airline of Bangladesh. Other airlines of similar name are:*United Airways Limited, a British airline that operated between 1934 and 1935*British United Airways, an airline operating from 1960 to 1970*British United Island Airways...
and Royal Bengal Airlines are two such airlines launched by expatriate British–Bangladeshis with an aim to provide direct flights between London and Dhaka.
New York and Manchester
From 1993 to 2006, Biman operated flights to
John F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
, New York, from Dhaka via
BrusselsBrussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
. New York was Biman's farthest and most prestigious destination, and was kept operational despite heavy financial losses on each flight to maintain a landing slot in the US which, if cancelled, could be difficult to regain.
To curb the losses, Biman reduced the service to one flight per week and re-routed it through Manchester Airport, UK, capitalising on travel demands from the expatriate Bangladeshi community in the north of England. On 8 April 2006, Biman's inaugural flight to Manchester landed at Manchester Airport en route to JFK. However, the
Federal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) had placed the CAAB into Category 2 (does not meet
International Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
standards) according to its International Aviation Safety Assessment Program, which placed additional restrictions on the country's airlines when flying to the US. A former CAAB assistant director made scathing remarks about the CAAB in an opinion article in the
Aviatour, a monthly travel and tourism supplement of Bangladeshi news magazine
Weekly HolidayWeekly Holiday is a Bangladeshi periodical established by Enayetullah Khan on 1 August 1965 with considerable political influence in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. The weekly was known to be against the Pakistani regime. During the reign of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the magazine was often very...
. For Biman, this meant that it could continue flying to the US, but could not expand or make alterations to its routes, such as changing the transit from Brussels to Manchester. The FAA fined Biman for breaching its rules, and flights to New York were again re-routed through Brussels.
The FAA had already warned Biman to replace its ageing DC-10s by December 2005. According to experts, these aircraft were inadequately equipped to safely cross the Atlantic. On 13 May 2006, the FAA refused permission for Biman flight BG001 (Dhaka–Brussels–JFK) to enter its airspace, citing safety concerns over the ailing DC–10 aircraft used on the route. The flight was diverted to
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International AirportMontréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or Montréal-Trudeau, formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport, is located on the Island of Montreal, from Montreal's downtown core. The airport terminals are located entirely in Dorval, while the Air Canada headquarters complex...
in Canada, where the passengers were provided with alternative airline options to complete their journey. Canadian authorities inspected the aircraft and gave it a clean bill of health after which the aircraft returned to Dhaka without any passengers. The FAA eventually admitted it was mistaken and apologised for the error.
The incident put an end to the route, which had been losing $80,000 per flight, owing to its use of obsolete DC-10s. Biman decided to axe the route along with a number of other regional and domestic routes to curb the huge losses being incurred by the airline each month. However, in October 2007, Biman was directed by the then caretaker government to resume flights to New York. Biman was given until 25 October 2008 (extended from an earlier deadline of 23 March 2008) to resume flights to the airport by the JFK airport authority, after which it would have lost the landing slot permanently. Biman was planning to resume Dhaka–Manchester–New York flights in the first quarter of 2010 using a leased Boeing 777–200ER. The relevant clearances had been obtained from the UK government following a review of the ASA between Bangladesh and the UK.
Hajj flights
The annual
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic pilgrimage to
MeccaMecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
for the
HajjThe Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
is undertaken by thousands of Bangladesh's predominantly Muslim population. Biman has been the sole Bangladeshi airline permitted by the government to provide flights for pilgrims to
King Abdulaziz International AirportKing Abdulaziz International Airport is an aviation facility located 19 km to the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport is Saudi Arabia's third largest air facility and busiest airport by passenger. The airport occupies an area of 15 square kilometers...
,
JeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
. Every year, the commencement of these flights is inaugurated by high ranking government officials, including, at times, the Prime Minister.
In 2002, the government opened the service to private operator
Air BangladeshAir Bangladesh was an airline based in Bangladesh. It was founded in 2000 and dissolved in 2005.-Code data:*IATA Code: B9*ICAO Code: BGD*Callsign: AIR BANGLA-Fleet:...
. The initial private flights were plagued with delays, with both outgoing and return flights postponed for as long as nine days, which caused the Bangladesh government to return the Hajj flights' monopoly to Biman.
Biman's handling of Hajj flights has also been beset with troubles. In 2005, the State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism resigned after complaints that he set fares too high. In 2006, Biman took the unprecedented step of removing the business–class seats from its dedicated Hajj flights to accommodate more economy-class passengers. Procedural irregularities by the Hajj agencies delayed the confirmation of pilgrims' visas, and Biman had to cancel 19 flights owing to lack of sufficient passengers. Once the situation was resolved, Biman was then unable to offer the required number of flights to cope with the backlog of passengers.
In June 2007, the caretaker government approved a three-year Hajj policy aiming to alleviate the problems encountered during the previous two years. Hajj flights would also begin leaving from Bangladesh's two other international airports, Shah Amanat International Airport and Osmani International Airport. Biman put out a tender for the
wet leaseAircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
of two aircraft for additional Hajj flights and reached an agreement with
Phuket AirPhuket Air is an airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. The airline currently specialises in leasing its fleet of Boeing 747 and 737 aircraft on an ACMI /wet lease basis to airlines worldwide needing extra passenger capacity...
. However, the deal fell through in August 2007 after Phuket Air demanded advance payment of 30% instead of the previously agreed-to 10%. Ausban Aeronautical Services of Australia was selected next, following a re-tender, to fill the gap left by Phuket Air.
Fleet
A vintage Douglas Dakota and
Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
were the first aircraft in Biman's fleet. Domestic operations commenced with the acquisition of four
Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
aircraft flying passengers to
ChittagongChittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
and Sylhet from its base in Dhaka. Shortly afterwards, a
Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, chartered from
British CaledonianBritish Caledonian was a private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, operating out of Gatwick Airport in the 1970s and 1980s...
, joined the airline's fleet, allowing Biman to begin international flights. In 1983, Biman purchased three Douglas DC-10 aircraft from
Singapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
to provide services on its long haul routes.
For over two decades, the DC–10–30s were Biman's sole widebody aircraft and served the airline consistently well, with no noteworthy mechanical problems – in marked contrast to the record of its domestic operations. These were operated with
Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
and
BAe ATPs which were routinely out of service because of technical trouble. In one incident, a government minister deboarded a flight and travelled by road when he learned that the aircraft he was on was a BAe ATP. In January 2003, Biman leased two
Boeing 737–300The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s which were used on domestic and regional routes for eighteen months. These acted as a replacement for the BAe ATPs.
During the mid 1990s, Biman switched its airliner of choice for long haul routes to the
AirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
series of aircraft. Two new
Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
s joined Biman's fleet in 1996 followed by one more in 2000. It nevertheless retained its elderly DC–10 fleet, even though the aircraft had been banned by several countries (notably the USA) because of safety concerns. The airline operates its own ancillary and maintenance facilities at Shahjalal International Airport, where it carries out all maintenance work on its F28s, and C-Checks on DC–10–30s and A310–300s.
Current
, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft:
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fleet
| Aircraft |
In service |
Orders |
Options |
Passengers |
Notes |
| J |
Y |
Total |
| Airbus A310-300 |
3 |
— |
— |
25 |
196 |
221 |
|
| 25 |
198 |
223 |
| 26 |
197 |
223 |
Boeing 737-800The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
|
2 |
4 |
2 |
12 |
150 |
162 |
New aircraft to be delivered in 2015 |
| Boeing 747-400 |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
505 |
505 |
Leased from Air Atlanta IcelandicAir Atlanta Icelandic is a charter and cargo airline based in Kópavogur, Iceland. It specialises in leasing aircraft on an ACMI /wet lease basis to airlines worldwide needing extra passenger and cargo capacity. It also operates charter services for Icelandic tour operators...
|
| Boeing 777-300ER |
2 |
2 |
4 |
35 |
394 |
419 |
|
| Boeing 787-8 |
— |
4 |
4 |
TBA |
Entry into service: 2016-2020 |
| Fokker F-28 |
4 |
— |
— |
— |
80 |
80 |
Two aircraft stored |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 |
1 |
— |
— |
25 |
228 |
243 |
Replacement aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER |
| 3 |
— |
314 |
314 |
| Total |
16 |
10 |
10 |
|
, the average fleet age is 22 years, without including ageing F-28 equipment in the figures.
Historical Fleet
- BAE ATP
- Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
- Boeing 737-300
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
Leased
- Boeing 747-100
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
BSR SUD Leased
- Boeing 777-200ER Leased
- Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
Leased
- Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
Leased
- Fokker F-27
Modernisation
McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and
Airbus A310-300The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
s make up most of Biman's international fleet.
Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
s make up the remainder of the fleet for the domestic and regional sectors. Biman's fleet contains the second-to-last Douglas DC–10 to come off the production line (l/n 445), and only three other Airbus A310–300s were produced following Biman's purchase of two new Airbus A310s in 1996. Biman's most recent additions to its fleet are two Fokker F28–4000s acquired from
PBairPBair was an airline with its head office in the UBC II Building in Vadhana, Bangkok, Thailand. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was Suvarnabhumi Airport.- History :...
in 2004 at a cost of $2.91 million. Both of these aircraft were built in 1977, making Biman's latest acquisitions the oldest aircraft in its fleet.
The ageing fleet has made it difficult for Biman to maintain its flight schedule, as the aircraft suffer from mechanical problems, leading to flight delays and cancellations. A number of aircraft have remained grounded owing to lack of spare parts as they are no longer manufactured and used parts are difficult to source.
In 2000, Biman put out a
request for proposalA request for proposal is issued at an early stage in a procurement process, where an invitation is presented for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. The RFP process brings structure to the procurement decision and is meant to...
for the acquisition of four wide-bodied aircraft to replace the DC–10s, but both the fleet renewal plans and the airline's expected privatisation were shelved by the government. A further attempt was made in 2005 to acquire new aircraft and plans were submitted for the purchase of ten new wide-bodied Airbus and Boeing aircraft at a total cost of $1 billion. Boeing arranged to finance the purchase provided a guarantee was given by the Bangladesh government. After bureaucratic delays and a perceived lack of commitment from the government, Boeing lost interest and the plans were cancelled. A similar attempt to purchase medium-haul aircraft for domestic service was also postponed.
In March 2007, Biman put out a tender for the dry lease of two Airbus A310-300 and two
Airbus A300-600The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
aircraft for two years. The sole response to the tender came from Star Aviation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
After Biman became a public limited company, renewed attempts were made to procure new-generation aircraft to replace its ageing fleet. In November 2007, Boeing made an offer to supply Biman with four Boeing 777-200s (with options for two more) to be delivered by 2013 and four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (with options for two more) to be delivered by 2017 and provide similar aircraft on lease for the interim period beginning in 2009. The average price of these aircraft was quoted as $165 million. Airbus also made an offer to supply four
Airbus A320The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
or
Airbus A330The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
series aircraft at a much lower price than that of Boeing. To manage the fleet in the short run, Biman again floated a tender in January 2008 to purchase/dry lease with options to purchase two used Airbus A310-300 aircraft.
On 10 March 2008, Biman management unveiled its plan to procure eight next-generation wide-bodied aircraft from
Boeing Commercial AirplanesBoeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
for a total cost of $1.26 billion. The eight aircraft include four Boeing 777-300ER (average price of $182.9 million per unit) to be delivered in 2013, and four Boeing 787–8 Dreamliners ($133.31 million per unit) to join Biman's fleet in 2017. The Boeing 777-300ER will have a seating capacity of 463 while the Dreamliners will seat 294. A
memorandum of understandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
for the acquisition, that also included the lease of two
Boeing 737-800The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
s to be delivered in 2015, was signed with Boeing in April 2008, with Biman paying out a $1.54 million initial payment. Of the remaining cost, US-based
EXIMThe Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States federal government. It was established in 1934 by an executive order, and made an independent agency in the Executive branch by Congress in 1945, for the purposes of financing and insuring...
bank will finance 85%, while a syndication of local banks will finance the balance. Shortly after, Biman also signed a deal with Boeing to purchase four Boeing 737-800 aircraft for its domestic operations.
In 2008, Biman wet-leased a 542-seat
Boeing 747-200The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
from
Kabo AirKabo Air is an airline headquartered in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It originally operated special charter services for corporate bodies, executives and government officials. However, in 2009 the airline received approval to start international scheduled services. The airline operated scheduled...
of Nigeria for six months to operate flights to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Another 512-seat
Boeing 747-300The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
has been leased from
Orient Thai AirlinesOrient Thai Airlines Co., Ltd. is an airline with its head office in Khlong Toei, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates charter and scheduled services in Southeast Asia. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok...
.
In 2009, Biman signed a deal with
EuroAtlantic AirwaysEuroAtlantic Airways - Transportes Aéreos S.A., operating and styled as euroAtlantic airways, is a charter airline based in Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal. It operates worldwide charter services, with an emphasis on the USA, Canada, Mexico, Pakistan and Australia, as well as ACMI and other wet lease...
to lease two Boeing 777-200ERs to cover the interim period before delivery of the first Boeing 777-300ERs in 2011. One of these aircraft was planned to be used to resume the Dhaka–Manchester–New York flights, while the other was aimed at operating European services. The first of these aircraft was delivered in February 2010, featuring a new livery that was unveiled in November 2009. Biman has confirmed orders for 10 aircraft from Boeing, including four 777-300ERs, four 787-8s and two 737-800s, along with 10 purchase rights. The airline will use an initial million loan granted from JPMorgan Chase to secure the delivery of two of the new Boeing airplanes it had ordered in 2008.
Wearing a new
liveryAircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
, the carrier took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER in late October 2011; it was the 300th aircraft of the type delivered by Boeing. The 301st ever delivered Boeing 777-300ER also went to Biman; the airline took possession of it in late . These new aircraft are being deployed to fill the gap on the void Manchester–Dhaka route, among other routes.
Subsidiaries
The wholly owned subsidiary Biman Flight Catering Centre (BFCC) was set up in 1989 to provide in-flight meals. It is one of Biman's profitable operations, supplying food to
British AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
,
Qatar AirwaysQatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
,
DragonairHong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited , operating as Dragonair, is an international airline and flag carrier headquartered in Hong Kong; with its corporate headquarters, Dragonair House Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited (T: 港龍航空有限公司, S: 港龙航空有限公司, Cantonese: gong2 lung4 hong4 hung1 jau5 haan6 gung1 si1,...
,
Uzbekistan Airways, and
Iran AirIran Air , formally Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the flag carrier airline of Iran, operating services to 60 destinations, 35 international and 25 domestic. The cargo fleet operates services to 20 scheduled and 5 charter destinations...
, along with casual orders from other airlines operating into Bangladesh. The BFCC consumes 90% of the eggs and chickens from the Biman Poultry Complex, another profit-making subsidiary of Biman formed in 1976 and put into operation in November 1980 to rear poultry at farms in Dhaka. Bird flu was detected at one of the farms in March 2007, and many of the birds were culled. This was the first incident of bird flu in Bangladesh.
Accidents and incidents
According to
Aviation Safety Network-External links:**...
, Biman Bangladesh Airlines records 11 accidents/incidents, with only two of them leading to fatalities.
Fatal accidents
: The first fatal hull-loss experienced by the carrier, when all five crewmembers were killed following the crash of a
Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
near Dhaka during a test flight.
- 4 August 1984: A flight from Chittagong to Dhaka, a Fokker F-27 (registration S2-ABJ) crashed near Dhaka, killing all 49 people on board. Captain Kaniz Fatema Roksana, the airline's first female pilot, made two attempts to land in reduced visibility but could not find the runway. On the third attempt the Fokker F–27 crashed in swamps 1640 feet (499.9 m) short of the runway.
Non-fatal hull-losses
: A Fokker F27,
registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
S2-ABG, that was being used for flight training, landed in a field near Savar Bazar after the engines caught fire and cut out following a stall test at 8000 feet (2,438.4 m).: A
Boeing 707-373CThe Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
named “City of Bayezed Bostami”,
tail numberAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
S2-ABQ, lost power following take-off from Paya Lebar Airport, reaching an altitude of some 100 feet (30.5 m) and sinking back to the runway with its
landing gearLanding Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
retracted. The airplane, that was due to operate an international scheduled Singapore–
DhakaTejgaon Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh served as the country's sole international airport prior to the construction of Shahjalal International Airport....
passenger service, skidded for about 2000 feet (609.6 m) before it came to rest.: A Fokker F-28-4000, registration S2-ACJ, that was operating a domestic scheduled Dhaka–Sylhet passenger service as Flight 609, made a
belly landingA belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device...
on paddy fields 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi) short of Sylhet Civil Airport in heavy fog. Seventeen of the 89 occupants of the aircraft were injured.: Flight BG601 from Dhaka to Sylhet landed far down the 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) runway at Osmani International Airport in heavy rain and overshot the end by 150 feet (45.7 m), coming to rest in a ditch 15 feet (4.6 m) deep. The Fokker F28's forward fuselage was heavily damaged and the plane was written off. All 79 passengers (including a number of VIPs from the Bangladesh government) escaped with minor injuries except the captain, Shahana Begum, who broke her arm. The body of the damaged plane was sold for BDT 1.1 million to Western Grill Air Corporation, which converted it into a restaurant sited near Ashulia, Dhaka.: A McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ER, tail number S2-ADN, that was operating an international scheduled Dubai–Chittagong–Dhaka passenger service ran off the runway immediately after touchdown at Shah Amanat International Airport amid inclement weather; following the collapse of the starboard main
undercarriageThe undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
, the right-hand side engine got separated from the wing and caught fire as the aircraft sank into the mud. Some passengers got injuries while the aircraft was evacuated, but all of the occupants managed to escape from it safely. An enquiry found no failures with the aircraft and put the blame for the accident on the incompetence of the pilot, who was fired.: An Airbus A310-325,
registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
S2-ADE, that was due to operate the Dubai–Dhaka route, experienced the collapse of the nosegear during the take-off run at
Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
. The aircraft came to rest at the end of the airport's sole active runway, blocking it for more than eight hours. There were 236 people onboard; only a few of them sustained minor injuries.
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