Biman to receive first fuel-efficient Boeing 777-200ER

Mashiur Rahaman

State-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines is likely to receive its first fuel-efficient Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on January 15 to upgrade its fleet.

The national flag carrier signed an agreement to procure two wide-body Boeing-777-200ER category aircraft from a Portuguese leasing company mainly to resume its operation to Dhaka-New York routes.

"Euro Atlantic Airways, the leasing company, has assured us to supply the first leased aircraft," Biman's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Air Commodore (Retd) Muhammed Zakiul Islam told the FE.

Biman intends to operate flights on Dhaka-London-Dhaka and Dhaka-Singapore-Dhaka routes with the newly acquired passenger carrier, instead of starting flights to America.

"Passenger demands in these two routes are very high at the moment," Mr. Islam said adding that some formalities, mandatory to commence NY flights are yet to be completed.

Biman's board signed a letter of intent with a Lisbon-based Euro Atlantic Airways for leasing 323-seater two Boeing 777-200ER aircraft as it faced serious aircraft shortage to operate its scheduled 18 international destinations.

Biman's fleet has been reduced to five from as 13 early this year, due to expiry of lease period of two aircraft and frequent technical groundings of age-old planes.

The board had also decided to hire another two Boeing 777 planes before the end of the year, as the government-owned carrier went on the overdrive to phase out its outdated DC-10 aircraft and ease an acute crisis of air-worthy fleet.

Representative of the Euro Atlantic has confirmed the information and said the second leased aircraft would be supplied on due time as per agreement.

Over 300,000 Bangladeshis live in the USA have been demanding resumption of the air operation for long. The national flag carrier cancelled its flights in this particular route at the end of 2006 amid operating loss to the tune of Tk 7.5 million (Tk 75 lakh) per flight. Biman used to operate two weekly flights to New York by DC 10-30 aircraft.

Restoration of this particular air-operation was a part of the election manifesto of the ruling Awami League government.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit assured non-resident Bangladeshis living in NY early 2009 of meeting their demand of Dhaka-NY operation by the national flag carrier prior to December 2009.