United News of Bangladesh

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has formed a four-member high-profile body to investigate the recent technical faults in the flights of the national carrier from July 1 to August 13. The committee will examine maintenance records and operational processes for each flight to identify root causes and determine if any staff negligence contributed to the incidents, said a media release on Tuesday. The probe body was asked to submit a report within 10 working days with recommendations to halt the repetition of such incidents. Frequent technical glitches in Biman flights spark passenger safety concerns Taking the recent technical glitches seriously, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has initiated several immediate and long-term measures, prioritising passenger safety and service quality. Efforts to bring changes in Biman are underway as two officers have been transferred, one engineering officer has been moved as a disciplinary action and another in Chattogram has received a show-cause notice. To enhance its technical capability, the national flag-carrier has arranged additional tire stock at key outstations, including Jeddah, Dubai, Madinah, Dammam, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, ensuring rapid replacement in emergencies. Besides, procurement orders for required tires have been issued. An investigation has been initiated into a tire burst incident in Jeddah and supervision under the Director of Flight Operations and Chief Engineers has been strengthened. On August 18, a night-time special maintenance shift was activated to support continuous oversight. The airline is also reviewing its inventory management system, coordinating with Boeing to reassess the Component Services Program (CSP) and updating the Recommended Spare Parts List (RSPL). Tailored Part Package (TPP) arrangements are under evaluation based on actual operational data and recurrent training for engineers has begun, and recruitment of apprentice mechanics is underway to strengthen technical personnel and long-term capacity. The airlines emphasised that all steps are being taken to ensure technical reliability, uphold maximum safety standards, and maintain passenger confidence.  

A series of recent mechanical glitches in Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights has sparked concerns over passenger safety and the national carrier’s maintenance standards. Multiple aircraft have been grounded or returned mid-flight due to technical issues during the period amid, dealing a fresh blow to the national flag carrier’s reputation and putting its image at stake. According to Biman sources, at least nine aircraft on both domestic and international routes reported various faults last month. Although accidents could be averted repeated disruptions have led to flight cancellations, schedule chaos, missed connections and significant inconvenience for passengers. In the past 30 days, technical issues have occurred mid-air or before takeoff on several routes including Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Rise in cabin temperature forces Ctg-bound Biman flight back to Dhaka Malfunctioning of toilets, faults in engines or trouble in aircraft on the runway left passengers waiting for hours, missing connecting flights and in some cases unable to reach their destinations. The latest incident occurred on Sunday when a Boeing Dreamliner was grounded at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport after a wing flap malfunction. Two hundred and sixty two passengers were accommodated in hotels while spare parts were flown in from London for repairs. A day later, a Dash-8 aircraft operating a domestic route returned to Dhaka just 20 minutes after take-off due to a cabin temperature rise. Earlier this month, a Bangkok-bound Boeing 737 was forced to turn back on August 6 due to engine vibration, an Abu Dhabi-bound Boeing returned the next day due to toilet malfunction, and a Singapore-bound Boeing encountered problems on August 9. Biman's Bangkok flight returns to Dhaka amid mid-air technical fault On Monday (Aug 12), Biman cancelled two Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights — to Kuwait and Dubai — due to a shortage of operational aircraft. The flights will now depart on Tuesday and passengers were informed of the revised schedules. Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ General Manager (Public Relations) ABM Rawshan Kabir told UNB that the flights to Kuwait and Dubai which were canceled on August 12 will operate tomorrow. The BG 343 flight on the Dhaka–Kuwait route will depart at 7:30 pm tomorrow (August 13), while the Dhaka–Chattogram–Dubai flight will leave at 5:05 pm the same day. He said the flights were cancelled due to an aircraft shortage. The Dreamliner aircraft grounded in Rome is undergoing repairs and five of Biman’s own engineers dispatched there on August 12 to make it airworthy. Biman flight from Dubai returns to Chattogram due to technical fault The aircraft is expected to be ready for flight by tomorrow evening. Regarding the repeated mechanical glitches, he said passenger safety is the top priority and no aircraft takes to the skies until all faults are fully resolved. Aviation experts say these incidents are not sudden, rather, small faults that go unaddressed are turning into major risks. Kazi Wahidul Alam, a former board member of Biman and an aviation expert, said the repeated mechanical glitches are indeed a reality. “Many of the aircraft in the fleet are old, which is why problems occur frequently. Such faults need to be detected and addressed in advance with greater checking. However, these repeated issues are damaging the airline’s reputation.” He also said that since the aircraft are old, regular inspections and strict quality control tests are essential. Ctg airport flight operations halted for 2 hours after Biman glitch Nepotism in hiring engineers and pilots must be avoided and only qualified professionals should be recruited, he added. Several major glitches were also reported in July, including incidents that left Dreamliner and Boeing aircraft grounded in Dubai and Sharjah. Biman currently operates a fleet of 19 aircraft — 14 from US-based Boeing and 5 Dash-8 Q400 models from Canada. The Boeing fleet includes 4 Boeing 737-800s, 4 Boeing 777-300ERs, 4 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, and 2 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. To reduce passenger inconvenience the process of leasing two aircraft is in its final stage alongside plans to purchase new ones, the sources added.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to operate a direct flight on the Saidpur-Cox's Bazar-Saidpur route from October 7. The flight, BG 592, will depart from Saidpur for Cox's Bazar every Thursday at 9.30am, starting October 7. Flight BG 536 will be the return, leaving Cox's Bazar for Saidpur every Sunday at 1.25 pm. Read: Biman to restart Delhi, Kolkata flights within air bubble Sep 5 Passengers will now be able to purchase tickets for this route through any of Biman sales offices, Biman Call Center 01990998998 and authorized travel agencies. Free AC coach service will be provided for Biman passengers from Saidpur Airport to Rangpur and Dinajpur and from Rangpur and Dinajpur to Saidpur airport. Read: Biman to resume flights to Delhi and Kolkata from Aug 22 Passengers willing to take the coach service are asked to be present at the pickup points in Rangpur or Dinajpur at least 2 hours before the departure time.

National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate flights in all internal routes from July 15 to 22. The national airlines service announced the decision through a media release Tuesday, followed by the cabinet division’s notification on lifting lockdown restrictions from July 14 midnight to the morning of July 23. During the period, Biman’s three flights to Chattogram and Syedpur, two each to Cox’s Bazar, Jashore, Sylhet and one each to Rajshahi and Barishal will fly from Dhaka. Also read: Bangladesh eases lockdown restrictions ahead of Eid The passengers can buy tickets for the flights from any travel agency approved by Biman sales office or Biman’s website, mobile apps making payments through bkash, Rocket, Vissa, Mastercard or AMEX card. However, strict restrictions will resume from July 23 and will continue until Aug. 5, as per the order. Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Bangladesh Railway is going to restore its passenger train services for eight days from July 15-22 across the country, keeping 50% of the seats empty apparently to facilitate the movement of people during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. Also read: Stringent lockdown: Biman's domestic flights suspended till July 7 Public transport services and business institutions will also be allowed to function.  Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21 amid the Delta variant of Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the country, shattering records every day. A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown suspending all outdoor activities unless there's an emergency.

National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume flight operations to Saudi Arabia from May 29. Biman decided to resume the service upon the assurance of hotel quarantine facilities in Saudi hotels, said Biman Deputy General Manager (Public Relations) Tahera Khandaker. Passengers have been requested to contact the nearest Biman sales counter to book hotels and quarantine packages and tickets. On May 20, Biman announced the suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia for five days until May 24. The flights were suspended after Saudi authorities imposed new conditions on international travellers against the backdrop of Covid-19 including mandatory hotel quarantine.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to start direct flights from Sylhet to Cox's Bazar from November 12.