Published at: The Asian Age, May 05, 2019
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is giving importance to the expansion of international route network and retain profits. To this end, the national flag carrier will be introducing five new routes this year. Although previously the carrier used to operate flights at 26 international routes, they were discontinued citing irregular losses.
Addressing this, aviation authorities said, ‘in order to make Biman more profitable, corruption must have tackled after which new routes should be managed. Only then will the national flag carrier return to golden days.’Biman officials said, ‘the new routes are China’s commercial city Guangzhou, the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, Delhi of India, Malay of Maldives and Colombo of Sri Lanka of which flight schedules of Delhi and Medina have already been announced.’
Chinese Civil Aviation Authority’s approval is expected to come very shortly after which Biman Bangladesh flights in Guangzhou. ‘We have already submitted necessary documents in this regard and are waiting for their permission and plan to start operations by June 30,’ they added. Also, necessary steps have been taken to launch flights to Maldives and Sri Lanka and we hope to start flights in these two countries by December 31, Biman officials added.
The carrier is set to operate flights on Dhaka-Delhi-Dhaka route, from May 13 after being discontinued since 23 August 2014. Initially, flights will operate on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, leaving at 3 pm from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and reach Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5:20 pm local time. It will have its return flight from Delhi at 6:20 pm and will reach Dhaka at 9:20 pm, sources said.On the other hand, Biman Bangladesh will operate flights from Medina in Saudi Arabia from October 27. Also, the process of taking two Boeing as leases for flights to Malay and Colombo are in progress, they added.
Previously, Biman Bangladesh Airlines used to have flights on 26 international routes-New York, London, Manchester, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Brussels, Toronto, Hong Kong, Delhi, Narita, Nagoya, Tripoli, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Mumbai but the routes were cancelled due to losses. Biman Bangladesh Airlines General Manager (Public Relations) Shakil Meraaj said, initiative for route expansion has been taken and new flights will be operated using the newly added Boeing aircrafts.
