Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox airline Template:Contains special characters Biman Bangladesh Airlines,<ref group="nb">Template:Langx</ref> commonly known as Biman (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, Template:IPA),<ref group="nb" name="">The name Biman, a Bengali word for "airplane", is derived from the Sanskrit word Vimana meaning flying palaces or chariots.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp</ref> is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh.<ref name="Biman Bangladesh Airlines orders three Q400s" /> With its main hub at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the airline also operates flights from its secondary hubs at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. The airline provides international passenger and cargo services to multiple destinations and has air service agreements in 42 countries.<ref name="Biman expands Q400 fleet" /> The headquarters of the airline, Balaka Bhaban, is located in Kurmitola, in the northern part of Dhaka. Annual Hajj flights, transporting tourists, migrants, and non-resident Bangladeshi workers and the activities of its subsidiaries form an integral part of the corporate business of the airline.
Created in February 1972, Biman enjoyed an internal monopoly in the aviation industry of Bangladesh for 24 years, until 1996.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the decades following its founding, the airline expanded its fleet and destinations but it was adversely affected by corruption and mismanagement. At its peak, Biman operated flights to 29 international destinations, extending from New York City in the west to Tokyo in the east. 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 company by the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh. Since becoming a public limited company in 2007, the airline has reduced staff and begun to modernize its fleet. The airline had signed a deal with Boeing to buy ten new aircraft and options for ten more in 2008.<ref name="Boeing starts $1.3b Biman plane supply" /> After taking delivery of the new planes, Biman expanded its destinations and added in-flight amenities such as onboard internet, WiFi, mobile telephony and live TV streams.<ref name="Internet in Biman" /><ref name="Biman Internet Experience" />
During his visit to Dhaka in September 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron and then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the order of ten Airbus A350 aircraft for Biman. The Airbus order consists of the purchase by Biman Bangladesh Airlines of two A350F cargo aircraft and eight A350 passenger aircraft. The aircraft will be delivered in stages with two passenger A350 aircraft joining the Biman fleet first.<ref name="Pres. Macron - Airbus order">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Airbus enters Bangladesh">Template:Cite news</ref> Biman Bangladesh Airlines is certified as safe to fly in Europe by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.<ref>"List of airlines banned within the EU" Template:Webarchive, European Aviation Safety Agency, 4 December 2012</ref><ref name="EU banned airlines" /> In addition, Biman has also successfully passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit and since then, the airline has resumed flights to some of its previous destinations in Asia and Europe.<ref name="Bangladesh off the unsafe list" /><ref name="Biman gets int'l registration renewed" /> In recent times, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has seen a marked improvement in punctuality, as well as in on-time flight performance, under its new management team.<ref name="Biman punctuality" />
History
Template:See also Biman Bangladesh Airlines was established on 4 January 1972 as Bangladesh's national airline under the Bangladesh Biman Ordinance (Presidential Order No. 126).<ref name="Banglapedia0516" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The initiative to launch the flag carrier was taken by 2,500 former employees, including ten Boeing 707 commanders and seven other former pilots of Pakistan International Airlines, who submitted a proposal to the government on 31 December 1971 following the independence of Bangladesh.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp The airline was initially called Air Bangladesh but was soon changed to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, its current name.<ref name="FI1972-16" />
On 4 February 1972, Biman started its domestic services, initially linking Dhaka with Chittagong, Jessore and Sylhet, using a single Douglas DC-3 acquired from India.<ref name="FI1973-446" /> Following the crash of this DC-3 on 10 February 1972, near Dhaka, during a test flight,<ref name="ASN" /> two Fokker F27s belonging to Indian Airlines and supplied by the Indian government entered the fleet as a replacement.<ref name="FI1973-446" /> Shortly afterwards, additional capacity was provided with the incorporation of a Douglas DC-6, loaned by the World Council of Churches,<ref name="FI1973-446" /> which was in turn replaced with another Douglas DC-6, a DC-6B model leased from Troll-Air, to operate the Dhaka-Calcutta route.<ref name="FI1972-895" /> On 4 March 1972, Biman started its international operations with a weekly flight to London using a Boeing 707 chartered from British Caledonian.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The short haul fleet was supplemented by a Fokker F27 from India on 3 March 1972; the aircraft was employed on a daily scheduled flight between Calcutta and Dhaka on 28 April 1972.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp Three additional Fokker F27s were acquired during March and September of that year.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp In the first year of operation, Biman operated 1,079 flights carrying just over 380,000 passengers.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:RpTemplate:Dubious
Four Fokker F27s joined the fleet in 1973, enabling Biman to double the frequency of the Kolkata flight to a twice daily service.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp 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.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp In 1974, operations were extended to Kathmandu (February), Bangkok (November) and Dubai (December).<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp In 1976, Biman sold two of its Fokker F27s and bought another Boeing 707 to extend international services to Abu Dhabi, Karachi and Mumbai.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp Singapore was added to Biman's list of international destinations, when a third Boeing 707 was purchased in February 1977, followed by Jeddah, Doha and Amsterdam the following year, which also saw the purchase of its fourth Boeing 707.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp In 1977, Biman was converted into a public sector corporation to be governed by a board of directors appointed by the government.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp The airline broke even for the first time in 1977–78, and made a profit the following year.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp International destinations expanded to include Kuala Lumpur, Athens, Muscat and Tripoli in 1979, followed by Yangon, Tokyo and Dhahran in 1980.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp Biman took delivery of its first 85-seater Fokker F28-4000 in 1981.<ref name="FI1981-1045" /> In 1983, three Douglas DC-10s joined the fleet and the airline started to phase out the Boeing 707s.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp<ref name="Biman at height of flight disarray" /> The flight network expanded further to include Baghdad (1983), Paris (1984) and Bahrain (1986).<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp On 5 August 1984, Biman faced its worst accident ever when a Fokker F27 flying in from Chittagong crashed near Dhaka, killing all 49 on board.<ref name="19840805-1" /> The long haul fleet was then supplemented by the purchase of two new Airbus A310s in 1996, followed by the addition of two more in 2000, from Singapore Airlines and Air Jamaica, and another in 2003.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp
Corporate affairs
Key people
Retired Senior Secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin replaced former Senior Secretary Sajjadul Hassan, who had completed his term, as the chairman of the airline in January 2023. Additional secretary to the government Shafiul Azim is the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Previously, Kevin John Steele,<ref name="Biman's interest to be upheld in ground, cargo handling: MD" /> who served as MD and CEO of Biman from March 2013 to April 2014,<ref name="Kevin leaves for home after job at Biman" /><ref name="Stick to my plan" /> was the first foreign national in the airline's history to be appointed CEO and MD of Biman.<ref name="Unlike Biman" /><ref name="First foreign CEO for Biman" /> He was chosen from a pool of 42 local and foreign candidates after a competitive selection process.<ref name="First foreign CEO for Biman" /> Steele was a British citizen who had many years of experience working in management and administrative positions at British Airways and other airlines around the world.<ref name="Biman MD John Steele joins office" /><ref name="New MD says Biman to be a profitable entity soon" /> Steele resigned from BimanTemplate:'s MD and CEO positions in December 2013 citing health issues.<ref name="Biman boss quits" /> Steele left office on Template:End date.<ref name="Biman receives 40 applications for MD" /> Kyle Haywood took office as BimanTemplate:'s MD and CEO on 5 January 2015. A British national, Haywood was the second foreign national to hold the airlineTemplate:'s CEO position after Kevin Steele.<ref name="Biman's new CEO takes charge" />
Ownership
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.<ref name="Jatree01" />Template:Rp The authorised share capital was increased to BDT 2 billion in 1987,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Biman was transformed into a public limited company, the largest in Bangladesh, in 2007.<ref name="Biman turns public limited company" />
Privatization
1980s
During the late 1980s, Hossain Mohammad Ershad, 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Research conducted in 1996 found that Biman had 5,253 non-flying personnel, 30 percent more than Singapore Airlines, a carrier who operated a fleet almost ten times the size of Biman's. The report described Biman as "poorly managed, overstaffed, under-capitalized, and subject to excessive political interference in its day-to-day management."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1990s
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, BDT 2.4 million was overpaid as incentive commissions to the sales agents in violation of Biman policies. In 2007, the caretaker government launched an anti-corruption drive. This was shortly followed by the forced retirement of 35 other employees and officials, some of whom were close aides of Shamim Iskander.<ref name="35 Biman staff sent on forced retirement" /> In Template:YEAR, Iskander, younger brother of former premier Khaleda Zia, was sent to jail over charges of concealing information regarding his wealth and not for his connection with Biman.<ref name="Shamim Iskander sent to jail" /><ref name="shamim-iskander-sent-to-jail" />
Faced with growing losses from the late 1990s onwards,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2000s
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 (BDT 8.3 billion as of 2010), with a US$100 million (BDT 6.9 billion as of 2010) loss reported the following year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Biman also fell behind on millions of dollars in payments to its fuel supplier, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with debts that rose to BDT 15.64 billion in late December 2006.<ref name="Biman bypasses BPC to import fuel direct" />
Public limited company
In May 2007, the caretaker government approved plans to turn Biman into a public limited company with shareholdings split between seven public sector organisations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As a part of the restructuring, the government put in place a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to reduce the man-equipment ratio (MER) of 367:1 (ratio of manpower to aircraft).<ref name="Over 2,100 Biman staff want to quit voluntarily" /> The industry average at the time was 200:1, and other Asian airlines operated with MERs of about 150:1.<ref name="Over 2,100 Biman staff want to quit voluntarily" /> The VRS provided compensation based on length of service, at a cost to the government of over BDT 2.97 billion borrowed from the World Bank.<ref name="Over 2,100 Biman staff want to quit voluntarily" /> 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 between 1,863<ref name="Biman forms committee to review worker lay-offs" /><ref name="Biman short-lists 1,863 for voluntary retirement" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and 1877 applications,<ref name="Biman Bangladesh to reappoint 'sacked' staff" /> and affirmed that key personnel would not be allowed to leave the organisation via VRS.<ref name="Over 2,100 Biman staff want to quit voluntarily" />
On 23 July 2007,<ref name="Biman goes PLC" /> Biman Bangladesh Airlines became the largest public limited company in Bangladesh.<ref name="Biman turns public limited company" /> Earlier suggestions that the airline should be renamed Bangladesh Airlines were rejected.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Biman starts journey as public limited company" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 chairman of the board of directors. The six secretaries and a joint secretary to the civil aviation ministry were made the seven shareholders of the new PLC.<ref name="Biman starts journey as public limited company" /> In September 2008, the government appointed Air Commodore Zahed Kuddus (retd) to replace Dr. Momen as CEO.<ref name="Kuddus takes helm at Biman" /> From 2002 to 2005 Kuddus had been chair of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), before which he had held various posts in the Bangladesh Air Force.<ref name="Zahed Kuddus new Biman CEO" />
Following the privatisation, an initiative was launched by ex-Biman employees, who left the organisation via the VRS, to set up a competing airline.<ref name="Ex-Biman men form body to float private airline" /> Names proposed for the airline included Air Bangla International, Biman Employees Airlines and Balaka.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They were joined by previous managing directors of Biman, along with the former president of the Bangladesh Airline Pilots' Association.<ref name="Ex-Biman men form body to float private airline" /> However, nothing further was heard of regarding the proposed venture.
The airline made profits in FY 2007–08 (BDT 60 million) and FY 2008–09 (BDT 150 million); In FY 2009–10, however, the carrier incurred in a net loss of BDT 800 million.<ref name="Biman's remarkable recovery" />
2010s
In FY 2010–11 it made losses of BDT 2 billion,<ref name="Biman's remarkable recovery" /> despite the government exempting it a debt of about BDT 11.94 billion and BDT 5.73 billion owed to the BPC and the CAAB, respectively.<ref name="Biman still dogged by losses" /> In FY 2011–12 it made a loss of BDT 6.06 billion (Template:US$ million);<ref name="Biman's remarkable recovery" /> in FY 2012–13 unaudited figures show a loss of BDT 2 billion.<ref name="BB refuses to be loan guarantor for Biman" /> Template:As of, Biman owed BDT 15.60 billion to different sources;<ref name="BB refuses to be loan guarantor for Biman" /> of which BDT 3676.2 million to CAAB<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and BDT 8.50 billion to Padma Oil Company, its fuel supplier.<ref name="BB refuses to be loan guarantor for Biman" /> Biman made three consecutive profits of BDT3.24 billion, BDT2.76 billion and BDT1.51 billion for FYs 2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016–17, respectively. The net profit for FY 2016–17 was BDT470 million.<ref name="Bangladesh Biman makes profit for 3 yrs in a row" /> In the FY 2017–18 Biman had an operating income of Template:BDTConvert but having an expense of Template:BDTConvert, it incurred a loss of Template:BDTConvert.<ref name="Biman report 2018-19" /> But in the FY 2018–19 its operating income and expenses both decreased to Template:BDTConvert and Template:BDTConvert respectively and Biman earned a net profit of Template:BDTConvert.<ref name="Biman report 2018-19" />
Subsidiaries
Template:Main Biman's subsidiaries are associated with aircraft ground handling, aviation engineering, aviation training and flight catering.<ref name="Corporate Profile">Template:Cite web</ref> There are five wholly owned subsidiaries, including:
| Company | Main activity | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| Biman Ground Handling (BGH) | Aircraft ground handling | 1972 |
| Biman Engineering | Aviation engineering | 2004 |
| Bangladesh Airlines Training Centre (BATC) | Aviation training | 1972Template:Failed verification |
| Biman Flight Catering Centre (BFCC) | Flight catering | 1989 |
| Biman Poultry Complex (BPC) | Poultry farming complex | 1980 |
Since 1972, BGH provides ground-handling services for all airports in Bangladesh;<ref name="Biman's ground-handling task going to qualified int'l agency" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the company reported a profit of BDT 4.5 billion for the FY 2011–12.<ref name="Biman's ground-handling task going to qualified int'l agency" /> The wholly owned subsidiary BFCC was set up in 1989 to provide in-flight meals.<ref name="Biman flight catering keeps courting profits" /> It is one of Biman's profitable operations,<ref name="Biman flight catering keeps courting profits" /> supplying food to Saudia, Etihad, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Emirates, China Southern Airlines and Regent Airways, along with casual orders from other airlines operating into Bangladesh.<ref name="Corporate Profile" /> The BFCC consumes 90% of the eggs and chickens from the BPC, another profit-making subsidiary of Biman formed in 1976 and put into operation in November 1980 to rear poultry at farms in Dhaka.<ref name="Corporate Profile" /><ref name="Biman flight catering keeps courting profits" /> Bird flu was detected at one of the farms in March 2007, and many of the birds were culled.<ref name="Protect our small farmers from bird flu" /><ref name="Biman culls 30,000 chickens to stop deadly disease" /> This was the first incident of bird flu in Bangladesh.<ref name="Bird flu continues to spread" />
Services
In 2013, Biman signed agreements with SITA<ref name="SITA signs 10-year agreement with Biman Bangladesh Airlines" /> and Mercator<ref name="mercator's new and improved RAPID 3.0 to support Biman Bangladesh Airlines' growth" /> to provide infrastructure support and revenue accounting services to the airline. In 2014, Biman launched an advanced seat reservation system on its website. The airline also offers an online meal selection option, where the passenger can choose from diabetic meals, vegetarian meals, Asian vegetarian meals, child meals and Muslim meals, that will be served on board.<ref name="Bihanga Sep-Oct">Template:Cite web</ref> In collaboration with a third-party service provider, Biman allows passengers to request Business Class upgrades as well as adjacent extra seats after booking an economy class fare.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Flight classes
A two-class service (J and Y) is operated on most of Biman's aircraft. The Business Class cabin on its Boeing 777 is arranged in a 2–3–2 configuration, while economy class cabin is set up in a 3–3–3 configuration. Biman has two types of Business Class layout in its Boeing 787. The 787-8 variant has its Business Class cabin arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration.<ref name="Seat Map of Biman Boeing 787-8">Template:Cite web</ref> On the other hand, the Business Class cabin on the 787-9 variant is set up in a more comfortable 1-2-1 configuration.<ref name="Seat Map of Biman Boeing 787-9">Template:Cite web</ref> All 787s' have their Economy class cabin arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. Also, the 787-9s' on its fleet are the first to introduce a Premium Economy class into Biman's service. The narrow-body Boeing 737-800s' Business Class is set up in a 2–2 configuration while Economy Class is in a 3–3 arrangement. Business Class passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have exclusive access to airport and hotel lounges around the globe.<ref name="Airport Lounges">Template:Cite web</ref>
In-flight amenities
Biman relaunched its inflight magazine and re-branded as Bihanga in September 2013. The bi-monthly magazine, previously known as Diganta, and before that Jatri, is published by Subcontinental Media Group. The magazine is available in both Bengali and English, covering topics about Bangladesh and Biman's destinations.<ref name="Biman launches in-flight magazine Bihanga" /> English and Bengali language newspapers are also available in Business Class on board the aircraft.Template:Citation needed Biman launched in-flight duty-free sales in March 2014, branded as Biman Boutique.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Duty-free products include perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, watches, children's gifts, chocolates, tobacco, etc.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, Biman launched amenity kits for children on-board which include colouring books, stationery, dolls and jigsaw puzzle.<ref name="Bihanga Sep-Oct" /> Biman doesn't usually serve alcoholic beverages on its flights in economy class, however, Business Class passengers have exclusive access to lounges around the globe.<ref name="Airport Lounges" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The newer Boeing 777s and 787s are equipped with modern in-flight entertainment systems. Every seat is fitted with personal touch screen displays which are loaded with movies, songs and games. It also has high-resolution moving maps and live flight information. All this is available in two languages – English and Bengali.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Starting with the newly delivered Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Biman Bangladesh Airlines launched onboard Internet, WiFi, mobile telephony, movie streaming and live TV streaming services in September 2018 in most of the new planes in its fleet.<ref name="Internet in Biman" /> Twenty-five satellites were deployed for this purpose. New Panasonic eX3 seat-back monitors with touch screens from Panasonic Avionics offer passengers more than one hundred on-demand movies, music and video games. Onboard touch screen 3D route-maps, the latest addition to the aviation industry, show the various structures of the territories the aircraft flies over.<ref name="Biman Internet Experience" /> Since March 2017, Biman started to offer exciting new and diverse meal and beverage options in its flights, including diabetic and children's meal packages, which is reviewed and updated every three months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> All meals served on-board Biman flights are Halal and in Business Class, à la carte menus are offered.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Frequent-flyer program
Biman launched a frequent-flyer program, named Biman Loyalty Club, in November 2013. It offers rewards such as tiered benefits, mileage bonuses, extra baggage, lounge access and priority check-in at airports.<ref name="FFP" /> As of July 2014, the frequent-flyer program had 8,000 members.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ticketing
An agreement was signed with Amadeus in 2007 to upgrade Biman's ticketing system with an e-ticketing 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 allowed Biman to reduce costs while eliminating the stress of lost tickets for passengers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The suspension, however, lasted only a month, and was lifted after the writ was appealed in the High Court.<ref name="Biman resumes ticketing thru' Amadeus" /> In 2013, Biman signed an agreement with German e-ticketing company Hahn Air, enabling Biman's tickets to be purchased from anywhere around the world.<ref name="Does Biman need to offer 50pc discount?" />
Biman Cargo
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Biman also operates a cargo service using the cargo holds of its passenger aircraft to ship freight to international destinations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has established a Cargo Village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka where the cargo is packaged and labelled before being loaded onto its aircraft for shipment overseas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The air cargo industry in Bangladesh grew by 16.5% in the fiscal year 2003–04. 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% in the fiscal year 2003–04.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In March 2018, Biman Bangladesh Airlines received ACC3 and RA-3 (Regulatory Agent for third country) certifications from the European Union allowing direct cargo flights to all destinations in Europe. ACC3 stands for Air Cargo or Mail Carrier operating into Europe from a third-country airport. These certifications were successfully obtained after the government of Bangladesh upgraded Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) and improved its security, including setting up Explosive Detection Systems (EDS), Explosive Detection Dogs (EDD) and Explosive Trace Detection (EDT) machines. Due to the improved security standards, Biman Cargo Village and Dhaka Airport (HSIA) also got the ACC3 and RA-3 certifications simultaneously and an RA-3-compliant warehouse was built at HSIA for Europe-bound cargo freight where entry is restricted for everyone apart from accredited Biman staff.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Biman Bangladesh Mobile App
On 28 December 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the Biman Bangladesh Airlines Mobile App. She also laid the foundation stone of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and inaugurated the Sonar Tari and Achin Pakhi, which are two new purchases of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to the flag carrier. The app was made available for passengers around the world.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Destinations
Template:See also Template:As of Biman serves 30 destinations with 48 routes.<ref name="Draft legislation passed to govern Biman Bangladesh Airlines" /> The airline operates flights to several destinations in the Middle East, some in South and South East Asia and London and Manchester in Europe.<ref name="Network" /> The carrier has air service agreements with 43 countries leaving room for further expansion in future.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
New York City
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From 1993 to 2006, Biman operated flights to New York City from Dhaka, catering to the many Bangladeshis who lived and studied in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> New York was Biman's farthest and most prestigious destination, and was kept operational, despite heavy financial losses towards the end, to maintain a landing slot in the US which, if cancelled, could be difficult to regain.<ref name="Biman to reroute NY flight to halve loss" />
In December 1993, the airline inaugurated service to New York City via Delhi, Dubai and Amsterdam using a McDonnell Douglas DC-10.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It subsequently routed the flight from Dhaka to New York through Dubai and Brussels and the inbound one through Brussels.<ref name="Biman may sue after US FAA bars DC-10" /><ref name="rr507" /> To curb the losses, Biman reduced the service to one flight per week and changed the European stop to Manchester Airport, UK,<ref name="Biman may sue after US FAA bars DC-10" /> 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 New York.<ref name="rr507">Template:Cite web</ref> However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had placed the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) into Category 2 (does not meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards) according to its International Aviation Safety Assessment Program,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which placed additional restrictions on the country's airlines when flying to the US. For Biman, this meant it could continue flying to the US, but could not expand or alter its routes. The FAA fined Biman for breaching its rules, and flights to New York began stopping in Brussels again.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The FAA already warned Biman to replace its ageing DC-10s by December 2005. According to experts, these aircraft were inadequately equipped to cross the Atlantic safely.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 13 May 2006, the FAA refused permission for the flight to enter its airspace, citing safety concerns over the DC-10.<ref name="Bangladesh Biman hits the buffers" /><ref name="Bangladesh Flight Banned Entry into US Over Safety Issues" /> The pilots diverted to Montreal, Canada, where the passengers were provided with alternative airline options to complete their journey.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="US Says Biman Landing Ban Was A 'Mistake'" /><ref name="FAA regrets for not allowing Biman flight to land at JFK airport (Updated)" /> The incident put an end to the route,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which had been losing Template:US$ per flight,<ref name="Bangladesh Biman hits the buffers" /> owing to its use of obsolete DC-10s.<ref name="Other News - 08/28/2006"/> Biman decided to axe the route along with several other regional and domestic routes to curb the huge losses being incurred by the airline each month.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
London
On 4 March 1972, Biman started its first international operations with a weekly flight to London using a Boeing 707. Template:As of, Biman Bangladesh Airlines flies directly to London Heathrow, from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, four times a week transporting both passengers and cargo, using its newly purchased Boeing 777 aircraft. Under its new management, the airline has seen a marked improvement in punctuality as well as in on-time flight performance in recent times.<ref name="Biman punctuality" /> Back in 2007, Biman faced strong criticism from major international airports including London Heathrow Airport and Dubai International Airport for its failure to maintain flight schedules.<ref name="Biman flight schedule about to crash-land" /> 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 Association (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 or Gatwick airports if it wished to continue serving London.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following discussions with BAA, however, Biman obtained landing slots for the summer of 2008 on condition that it achieved 80% usage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Biman flight denied landing at Heathrow" /> 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.<ref name="UN staff asked to skip Biman" />
Toronto
In July 2020, Biman announced the introduction of a new route to Toronto which will be flown thrice-weekly beginning in October 2020. The route comes as part of an air agreement between Bangladesh and Canada, and will allow passengers to connect onward to cities across North America with its Air Canada hub at Toronto's Pearson Airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 26 March 2022, on the occasion of 51st Independence Day of Bangladesh and to observe the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Biman operated a special flight, BG-305, from Dhaka and Toronto–Pearson.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2022, initially the inaugural commercial flight was scheduled on 11 June 2022,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> however, Biman decided not to operate a direct flight to Toronto as it would not be commercially viable, rather planned to operate the flight with a stopover in any of the European or Asian destinations for refueling and extra passengers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 22 April, Biman confirmed that it would use Manchester Airport as a stopover for its Toronto flight, to make it more commercially viable.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, later in May, Biman decided that Istanbul Airport will be used for refueling purposes, making it a technical halt only, not being allowed to aboard or deboard passengers from the airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 27 July, the first flight left Dhaka at 03:30 with 160 passengers only.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Hajj flights
The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca for the Hajj 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 Airport, Jeddah. Every year, the commencement of these flights is inaugurated by high-ranking government officials, including, at times, the Prime Minister.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="PM opens Hajj flight (updated) [with minor corrections]" /><ref name="Stranded pilgrims fly out of Dhaka" /> In 2002, the government opened the service to private tour operators for the first time.<ref name="Bangladesh tackles pilgrimage fraud" /> The initial private flights were plagued with delays, with both outgoing and return flights postponed for as long as nine days.<ref name="Stranded pilgrims fly out of Dhaka" /><ref name="Bangladesh to rescue stranded pilgrims" /> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2006, Biman took the unprecedented step of removing the business–class seats from its dedicated Hajj flights to accommodate more economy-class passengers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref name="3-yr National Hajj Policy okayed" /> Biman put out a tender for the wet lease of two aircraft for additional Hajj flights and reached an agreement with Phuket Air. However, the deal fell through in August 2007 after Phuket Air demanded advance payment of 30% instead of the previously agreed-to 10%.<ref name="Phuket scraps hajj deal with Biman" /> Ausban Aeronautical Services of Australia was selected next, following a re-tender, to fill the gap left by Phuket Air.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, Biman wet-leased a 542-seater Boeing 747-200 from Kabo Air of Nigeria for six months to operate flights to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.<ref name="Biman leases Boeing-747 from Nigeria" /> Another 512-seater Boeing 747-300 was leased from Orient Thai Airlines.<ref name="Biman receives leased aircraft" /> Template:As of, Biman still experienced difficulties in providing their scheduled services, as the carrier gave priority to the transportation of pilgrims to Jeddah during the Hajj season using aircraft that otherwise were flown on its regular flights.<ref name="Biman cuts down flight for Hajj" /><ref name="Biman set to fly into schedule chaos" /> Despite this, the airline reported a profit of almost BDT 1 billion from the 2012 Hajj season, the highest results ever since these services were started in 1973.<ref name="Biman earns Tk billion from Hajj flights" />
Codeshare agreements
Template:As of, Biman Bangladesh Airlines had codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
- Gulf Air<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Interline agreements
- Air Canada<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- APG Airlines<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Emirates<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hahn Air<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Kuwait Airways<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- My Freighter Airlines<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fleet
Current fleet
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Template:As of, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y+ | Y | Total | ||||
| Boeing 737-800 | 4 | — | 12 | — | 150 | 162 | <ref name="2005Order">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 4 | — | 35 | — | 384 | 419 | <ref name="2005Order"/> |
| Boeing 787-8 | 4 | — | 24 | — | 247 | 271 | <ref name="Bangladesh Airlines takes first Boeing 787" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Boeing 787-9 | 2 | — | 30 | 21 | 247 | 298 | <ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> |
| De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 | 5 | — | — | — | 74 | 74 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Total | 19 | 0 | |||||
Fleet history
1972–2000
A vintage Douglas Dakota and Douglas DC-3 were the first aircraft in Biman's fleet.<ref name="Biman at height of flight disarray" /> Domestic operations commenced with the acquisition of four Fokker F27 aircraft flying passengers to Chittagong and Sylhet from its base in Dhaka. Shortly afterwards, a Boeing 707, chartered from British Caledonian, joined the airline's fleet, allowing Biman to begin international flights. In 1983, Biman purchased three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 aircraft from Singapore Airlines to provide services on its long-haul routes.<ref name="Banglapedia0516" /><ref name="Biman at height of flight disarray" /> In a deal worth Template:US$, three British Aerospace ATPs were ordered in late 1989.<ref name="Bangladesh ATPs" /> These ATPs entered the fleet in late 1990, coming to replace the Fokker F27s.<ref name="FI1990-8" />
During the mid-1990s, Biman switched its airliner of choice for long-haul routes to the Airbus series of aircraft. In 1995, two PW4000-powered Airbus A310-300s were ordered;<ref name="ordersleases-16890" /><ref name="biman-bangladesh-28309" /> the first of them joined the fleet on 15 June 1996.<ref name="bangladesh-first-13239" /> It nevertheless retained its elderly DC–10 fleet. For over three 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 F28 and BAe ATPs which were routinely out of service because of technical trouble. In one incident, a government minister disembarked a flight and travelled by road when he learned that the aircraft he was on was a BAe ATP.<ref name="Scared minister skips ATP flight, drives to Syedpur" /> In January 2003, Biman leased two Boeing 737-300s which were used on domestic and regional routes for eighteen months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and Airbus A310-300s made up most of Biman's international fleet, before the delivery of the modern Boeing 777-300ERs started in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Unreliable source? Fokker F28s made up the remainder of the fleet for the domestic and regional sectors, before they were retired in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The two Fokker F28–4000s were acquired from PBair in 2004 at a cost of $2.91 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both of these aircraft were built in 1977, making Biman's latest acquisitions the oldest aircraft in its fleet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ageing fleet made it difficult for Biman to maintain its flight schedule, as the aircraft suffered from mechanical problems, leading to flight delays and cancellations.<ref name="Biman flight schedule about to crash-land" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A number of aircraft remained grounded owing to lack of spare parts as they are no longer manufactured and used parts are difficult to source.<ref name="Replacing age-old fleet must for saving Biman" /> A deal was signed in January 2012 a three-year contract with a German company for the maintenance of their powerplants, for the DC–10s.<ref name="operations-maintenance-0121" /> The airline operates its own ancillary and maintenance facilities at Shahjalal International Airport, where it carries out all maintenance work and C-Checks on DC–10–30s and A310–300s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000s
In 2000, Biman put out a request for proposal 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 $1 billion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Boeing arranged to finance the purchase provided a guarantee was given by the Bangladesh government. After bureaucratic delays and a perceived lack of commitment from the government, Boeing lost interest and the plans were cancelled.<ref name="Replacing age-old fleet must for saving Biman" /> A similar attempt to purchase medium-haul aircraft for domestic service was also postponed.<ref name="Biman tender stalled for 8 months by a lobby" /> In March 2007, Biman put out a tender for the dry lease of two Airbus A310-300 and two Airbus A300-600 aircraft for two years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The sole response to the tender came from Star Aviation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After Biman became a public limited company, renewed attempts were made to procure new-generation aircraft to replace its ageing fleet. In November 2007, Boeing made an offer to supply Biman with four Boeing 777-200s (with options for two more) to be delivered by 2013 and four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (with options for two more) to be delivered by 2017 and provide similar aircraft on lease for the interim period beginning in 2009.Template:Citation needed The average price of these aircraft was quoted as Template:US$ million.Template:Citation needed Airbus also made an offer to supply four Airbus A320 or Airbus A330 series aircraft at a much lower price than that of Boeing.Template:Citation needed To manage the fleet in the short run, Biman again floated a tender in January 2008 to purchase or dry lease with options to purchase two used Airbus A310-300 aircraft.<ref name="Biman to buy 8 aircraft" />
On 10 March 2008, the Biman management unveiled a plan to procure eight next-generation wide-bodied aircraft from Boeing Commercial Airplanes for a total cost of Template:US$ billion, including four 419-seater Boeing 777-300ER (average price of Template:US$ million per unit), and four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners that will seat 294 (Template:US$ million per unit), to be delivered in 2017.<ref name="Biman to buy 8 aircraft" /> The deal for the acquisition of these eight aircraft was signed with Boeing in April 2008,<ref name="Boeing, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Sign Deal for 777s, 787s" /> and also included a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of two Boeing 737-800s to be delivered in 2015,<ref name="Biman buying 737-800s, also seeking leased 737s and 777s" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Biman making an initial instalment of Template:US$ million.<ref name="Biman to buy 8 Boeing aircraft" /> Of the remaining cost, US-based EXIM bank will finance 85%, while a syndication of local banks will finance the balance.<ref name="Biman signs purchase deal with Boeing" /> In Template:MONTHNAME the same year, Biman placed a firm order for two Boeing 737-800s, and took options for two more aircraft of the type.<ref name="Boeing, Biman Bangladesh Announce 737-800 Order" /> The total order for these ten aircraft was valued at around Template:US$ billion.<ref name="Biman banks on Boeing" />
2010s
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In 2010, Biman leased two Boeing 777-200ERs from EuroAtlantic Airways. These aircraft were used mainly on routes to European destinations to cover the interim period before the delivery of the first two new Boeing 777-300ERs in 2011.<ref name="Other News - 02/04/2010"/> To secure the delivery of these two brand new 777-300ERs the airline used an initial Template:US$ million loan granted from JPMorgan Chase.<ref name="Biman banks on Boeing" /><ref name="Biman inks $277m loan with JP Morgan for new aircraft" /><ref name="J.P. Morgan to provide loan facility to Biman Bangladesh Airlines" /> Wearing a new livery, the carrier took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER in late October 2011.<ref name="'Palki' joins Biman fleet" /><ref name="The stork takes delivery" /> It was the Template:Ordinal 777-300ER delivered by Boeing.<ref name="Aircraft-News-2011-10-31" /><ref name="Boeing delivers 300th 777-300ER to Biman Bangladesh" /> The Template:Ordinal ever delivered Boeing 777-300ER also went to Biman.<ref name="2nd Boeing 777 joins the fleet" /> The airline took possession of it in late November 2011.<ref name="Biman Bangladesh receives second Boeing 777" /> The Template:Ordinal to word Boeing 777-300ER, named Aakash Pradeep, was handed over to the carrier in February 2014.<ref name="Biman's New Boeing 777-300ER" /> The Template:Ordinal to word one, named Raanga Pravat, joined the fleet in March 2014,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> following the government approving a Template:US$ million loan, of which Template:US$ million will be provided by the Ex-Im Bank and the rest by the Standard Chartered Bank.<ref name="Biman gets $356m to buy two aircraft" />
Biman retired its entire McDonnell Douglas DC-10 fleet on 20 February 2014, by operating a special Dhaka-Birmingham farewell flight with its last DC-10 with a stopover at Kuwait. The carrier also operated nine separate aviation enthusiasts' scenic flights at Birmingham, from 22 to 24 February, flying three flights a day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The aircraft was then offered for sale as scrap in Dhaka.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Airbus A310-300s were withdrawn from service in October 2016.<ref name="Biman to lease two more aircraft" /><ref name="Biman set to sell out two airbus aircraft" />
The carrier leased two Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from EgyptAir in March 2014.<ref name="Second leasehold Boeing joins Biman fleet" /> The airline planned to expand its fleet to 16 aircraft, to allow route expansion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> With newly leased Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, the carrier resumed domestic flights in full swing to Cox's Bazar, Jessore, Saidpur, Rajshahi and Barisal in April 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The two aircraft, dry leased from Smart Aviation Company for a period of five years, also operated on regional flights to Kolkata and Yangon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Initially it was supposed to resume in November 2013, which Biman failed to as it was unable to find a lessor of aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In February 2017, it was announced that the airline would acquire three of their own Dash 8-Q400 which will be used to replace the current aircraft leased from Smart Aviation Company to continue operating domestic and regional flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Due to reliability issues with its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft leased from EgyptAir,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Biman announced in December 2017 that the aircraft would be returned in March and May 2018, one year ahead of the expiration of the lease.<ref name="endlease" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 19 August 2018, Biman received its first of four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and it was named "Akash Beena" in Bengali by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, who inaugurated it on 5 September 2018 during an inauguration ceremony before its maiden commercial flight.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Dreamliner has this name inscribed on its side, below the cockpit, written in English on the port side and in Bengali on starboard.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 1 December 2018, the second of four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners was received, increasing the fleet of Biman to fifteen aircraft, and it was named "Hangsa Balaka" in Bengali with BG-2112 as its serial number.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The last Boeing 787-8 named "Raj Hangsha" joined the fleet on 14 September 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After receiving all four Boeing 787-8, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed interest to buy two more Boeing 787-9.<ref name="B787-9" /> As China-based Hainan Airlines cancels its 30 Dreamliner orders, Boeing approaches Biman and the latter agrees to buy two 787-9 at a negotiated price of Template:USD150 million for each aircraft. Both these aircraft joined the fleet on 21 and 24 December 2019 and these two aircraft are named as Sonar Tori and Awchin Pakhi.<ref name="787-9 dreamliner" /><ref name="Biman's 787 Achin Pakhi' arrives" />
2020s
In January 2020, Biman expressed interest in buying two more Dash-8 Q400NG short-bodied aircraft. This proposal is made to increase the frequency of the flights on domestic and regional routes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Besides, discussion is going on for taking four more Boeing 787-9 that was not taken up by Hainan Airlines and later on passed by Vistara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Besides, the airlines intended to buy cargo aircraft in future.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023 French President Emmanuel Macron, together with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, announced a large order of ten Airbus A350 aircraft for Biman Bangladesh Airlines during President Macron's visit to Dhaka. The Airbus order consists of two A350F cargo aircraft and eight A350 passenger aircraft. Delivery of the aircraft will be done in stages with two passenger A350 aircraft joining the Biman fleet first.<ref name="Pres. Macron - Airbus order" /><ref name="Airbus enters Bangladesh" />
All three Dash-8 Q400NG from the first batch of orders received by March 2021. Another two were ordered and will join the fleet by 2022. The number of Dash-8 aircraft will be six by 2022 (including one from lease). By adding Dash-8 Q400NG, Biman Bangladesh Airlines will stop using Boeing 737-800 planes on domestic routes. So Boeing 737-800 will operate on international routes only. Biman will also use Dash-8 aircraft on some short-range international routes.<ref name="tbs8Mar2020">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="3rd dash 8">Template:Cite news</ref>
Livery
In modern Bengali, the word বিমান Biman refers to "aeroplane", originating from the Sanskrit word vimāna, a name given to a flying machine mentioned in ancient Vedic literature. The logo, painted on the tail, is a stylised white stork (বলাকা bôlaka) inside a red circle. The logo was designed by painter Quamrul Hassan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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, designed by Teague, which was applied to its leased Boeing 777 and 737 aircraft.<ref name="Biman gets new livery, aircraft" /> However, following change of government, Biman reverted to the original branding as this livery was not deemed appealing or colour appropriate for Biman or reflecting Bengali culture. The carrier has since adopted a new, more modern and revised version of its livery, that was applied to the new Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, and all other aircraft delivered or leased from 2011 onwards.
The bôlaka has also given its name to the Biman headquarters, the Balaka Bhaban (বলাকা ভবন bôlaka bhôban, Stork Building).<ref name="Biman staff threaten 48-hr strike" /><ref name="Biman strike begins" /><ref name="Sacked workers take protest to Biman HQ" /> A landmark sculpture, named Balaka and depicting storks, is also found in front of Biman's former headquarters, the Biman Bhaban, in the Motijheel Commercial Area of Dhaka.<ref name="FI1986" /> Eminent Bangladeshi sculptor; and mural, terracotta and landscaping artist, Mrinal Haque, designed and built this sculpture.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Retired fleet
Template:Multiple image The carrier also formerly operated the following aircraft:<ref name="ATDB" /> Template:Div col
- Airbus A310-300<ref name="Biman to lease two more aircraft" />
- BAe ATP<ref name="FI1990-8" />
- Boeing 707-120B
- Boeing 707-320
- Boeing 707-320B
- Boeing 707-320C
- Boeing 737-300
- Boeing 747-200B
- Boeing 747-300
- Boeing 747-300SCD
- Boeing 747-400
- Boeing 777-200
- Boeing 777-200ER<ref name="endlease" />
- Douglas DC-6B
- Douglas DC-8-40
- Douglas DC-8-50
- Fokker F27-200
- Fokker F27-600
- Fokker F28-4000<ref name="FI1981-1045" />
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10-15
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30<ref name="Biman seeks buyer for DC-10 in new disposal tender" />
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ER
- McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Accidents and incidents
Template:As of, Aviation Safety Network records 12 accidents/incidents for Biman Bangladesh Airlines, with two of them leading to fatalities.<ref name="ASN" />
| Date | Location | Aircraft | Registration | Aircraft damage | Total on board | Casualties or Fatalities | Description | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Dts | Dhaka | DC-3 | Template:Unknown | W/O | 5 | 5 | Crashed near Dhaka during a training flight. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:Nowrap | F27-200 | S2-ABG | W/O | 4 | 0 | Forced to land in a field near Savar Bazar following the flameout of both engines. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Singapore | Template:Nowrap | S2-ABQ | W/O | 74 | 0 | Named "The City of Bayezed Bostami", the plane lost power following takeoff from Paya Lebar Airport, reached an altitude of about Template:Convert and sank back to earth with the landing gear retracted. The aircraft, due to operate an internationally scheduled Singapore–Dhaka passenger service, skidded for about Template:Convert before coming to rest. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Dhaka | F27-600 | S2-ABJ | W/O | 49 | 49 | Flight 426 on approach to Zia International Airport, inbound from Chittagong, fell some Template:Convert short of the runway, after several missed approaches amid inclement weather.<ref group="nb">It was also stated that the aircraft crashed beyond the runway.<ref name="FI1985-35" /></ref> | <ref name="19840805-1" /><ref name="FI1985-35" /> |
| Template:Dts | Sylhet | F28-4000 | S2-ACJ | W/O | 89 | 0 | While on approach to Sylhet from Dhaka as Flight 609, the aircraft made a belly landing in heavy fog on some paddies Template:Convert short of Sylhet Civil Airport. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Sylhet | F28-4000 | S2-ACH | W/O | 79 | 0 | Inbound from Dhaka as Flight 601, the aircraft made a long landing at Osmani International Airport in heavy rain and overshot the end of the runway by Template:Convert, coming to rest in a Template:Convert-deep ditch. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref name="F-28 crashes in heavy rain" /> |
| Template:Dts | Chittagong | DC-10-30ER | S2-ADN | W/O | 216 | 0 | The aircraft, which was operating an internationally scheduled Dubai–Chittagong–Dhaka passenger service as Flight 048, ran off the runway immediately after touchdown at Shah Amanat International Airport in inclement weather; following the collapse of the starboard main undercarriage, the right-side engine separated from the wing and caught fire as the aircraft sank into the mud. Some passengers received injuries while the aircraft was evacuated; there were no fatalities. An inquiry found no failures with the aircraft and placed the blame for the accident on the incompetence of the pilot, who was fired. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref name="Biman pilot sacked over DC–10 crash" /><ref name="DC-10 mishap closes airport" /> |
| Template:Dts | Dubai | A310-300 | S2-ADE | W/O | 236 | 0 | The nose gear collapsed on takeoff run at Dubai International Airport. The aircraft came to rest at the end of the airport's sole active runway, blocking it for more than eight hours. All 236 people aboard survived, a few with minor injuries. The plane was due to operate an internationally scheduled Dubai–Dhaka passenger service. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref name="Biman brings chaos to Dubai" /><ref name="Pictures: Biman Bangladesh Airbus A310 accident closes Dubai International Airport" /> |
| Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Flight 147, operating a Dhaka-Chittagong-Dubai route, survived an attempted hijacking by a man with a toy pistol. All passengers were safely evacuated upon landing in Chittagong, and the would-be hijacker was shot dead by Bangladeshi special forces after he refused to surrender. | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Flight 060, operating the Dhaka-Yangon route, skidded off the runway due to heavy rain and strong crosswinds while landing at Yangon Airport in Myanmar during inclement weather. Eighteen people were slightly injured, including a pilot and an air hostess. | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
See also
Footnotes
Notes
<references group="nb"/>
References
<references> <ref name="Aircraft-News-2011-10-31">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="ATDB">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source?
<ref name="Bangladesh Airlines takes first Boeing 787">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh ATPs">Template:Cite journal</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh Biman hits the buffers">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh Biman makes profit for 3 yrs in a row">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh Flight Banned Entry into US Over Safety Issues">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Boeing starts $1.3b Biman plane supply">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="EU banned airlines">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh off the unsafe list">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh tackles pilgrimage fraud">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Bangladesh to rescue stranded pilgrims">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="bangladesh-first-13239">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="BB refuses to be loan guarantor for Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman at height of flight disarray">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman Bangladesh Airlines orders three Q400s">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman expands Q400 fleet">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman Bangladesh receives second Boeing 777">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman Bangladesh to reappoint 'sacked' staff">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman banks on Boeing">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman boss quits">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman brings chaos to Dubai">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman buying 737-800s, also seeking leased 737s and 777s">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman bypasses BPC to import fuel direct">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman culls 30,000 chickens to stop deadly disease">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman cuts down flight for Hajj">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman earns Tk billion from Hajj flights">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman flight catering keeps courting profits">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman flight denied landing at Heathrow">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman flight schedule about to crash-land">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman forms committee to review worker lay-offs">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman gets int'l registration renewed">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman gets new livery, aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman gets $356m to buy two aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman goes PLC">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman inks $277m loan with JP Morgan for new aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman launches in-flight magazine Bihanga">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman leases Boeing-747 from Nigeria">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman may sue after US FAA bars DC-10">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman MD John Steele joins office">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman pilot sacked over DC–10 crash">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman receives 40 applications for MD">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman receives leased aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman resumes ticketing thru' Amadeus">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman seeks buyer for DC-10 in new disposal tender">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman set to fly into schedule chaos">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman set to sell out two airbus aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman short-lists 1,863 for voluntary retirement">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman signs purchase deal with Boeing">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman staff threaten 48-hr strike">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman still dogged by losses">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman starts journey as public limited company">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman strike begins">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman tender stalled for 8 months by a lobby">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman to buy 8 aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman to buy 8 Boeing aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman to lease two more aircraft">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman to reroute NY flight to halve loss">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman turns public limited company">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="biman-bangladesh-28309">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman's ground-handling task going to qualified int'l agency">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman's interest to be upheld in ground, cargo handling: MD">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman's New Boeing 777-300ER">Template:Cite press release </ref>
<ref name="Biman's new CEO takes charge">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman's remarkable recovery">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Bird flu continues to spread">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Boeing delivers 300th 777-300ER to Biman Bangladesh">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Boeing, Biman Bangladesh Announce 737-800 Order">Template:Cite press release</ref>
<ref name="Boeing, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Sign Deal for 777s, 787s">Template:Cite press release</ref>
<ref name="DC-10 mishap closes airport">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Does Biman need to offer 50pc discount?">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="Draft legislation passed to govern Biman Bangladesh Airlines">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Ex-Biman men form body to float private airline">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="FAA regrets for not allowing Biman flight to land at JFK airport (Updated)">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="First foreign CEO for Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="FFP">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="FI1972-16">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
<ref name="FI1972-895">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
<ref name="FI1973-446">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
<ref name="FI1981-1045">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
<ref name="FI1990-8">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
<ref name="FI1986">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
<ref name="F-28 crashes in heavy rain">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="J.P. Morgan to provide loan facility to Biman Bangladesh Airlines">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Kevin leaves for home after job at Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Kuddus takes helm at Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="mercator's new and improved RAPID 3.0 to support Biman Bangladesh Airlines' growth">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="New MD says Biman to be a profitable entity soon">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="operations-maintenance-0121">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="ordersleases-16890">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Other News - 02/04/2010">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Other News - 08/28/2006">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Over 2,100 Biman staff want to quit voluntarily">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Phuket scraps hajj deal with Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Pictures: Biman Bangladesh Airbus A310 accident closes Dubai International Airport">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="PM opens Hajj flight (updated) [with minor corrections]">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Protect our small farmers from bird flu">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Replacing age-old fleet must for saving Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Sacked workers take protest to Biman HQ">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Scared minister skips ATP flight, drives to Syedpur">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Second leasehold Boeing joins Biman fleet">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Shamim Iskander sent to jail">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="shamim-iskander-sent-to-jail">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="SITA signs 10-year agreement with Biman Bangladesh Airlines">Template:Cite press release</ref>
<ref name="Stick to my plan">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Stranded pilgrims fly out of Dhaka">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="The stork takes delivery">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="Unlike Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="UN staff asked to skip Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="US Says Biman Landing Ban Was A 'Mistake'">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Zahed Kuddus new Biman CEO">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="2nd Boeing 777 joins the fleet">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="3-yr National Hajj Policy okayed">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="35 Biman staff sent on forced retirement">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="'Palki' joins Biman fleet">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman report 2018-19">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman punctuality">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Banglapedia0516">Template:Cite book</ref>
<ref name="Jatree01">The History of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Jatree. Biman Bangladesh Airlines. January–March 1987.</ref>
<ref name="ASN">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="19840805-1">Template:ASN accident</ref>
<ref name="Internet in Biman">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman Internet Experience">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Network">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="787-9 dreamliner">Template:Cite web</ref>
<ref name="B787-9">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="Biman's 787 Achin Pakhi' arrives">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="endlease">Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name="FI1985-35">Template:Cite magazine</ref> </references>
External links
Template:Subject bar Template:Airlines of Bangladesh Template:IATA members Template:Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (Bangladesh) Template:Authority control