Biman operates suicidal flight

DHAKA : Biman Bangladesh Airlines is operating flight without fleet planning, which is suicidal for national flag carrier and due to this unplanned fleet planning Biman incurs huge loss.
 
Biman sources said Biman is now operating flight with Boeing 777-300 ER (Extended Range) in Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka-Singapore route which is short haul destination.

But Boeing 777-300 ER has been made especially for long haul route like Dhaka-New York, Dhaka-London, the sources added.  
 
Sources said, like other airlines, Biman has also a fleet planning, which has no implementation.
 
In 2011, two Boeing 777-300 ER which rename respectively `Palki’ and `Arun Alo’ added in Biman fleet. Biman signed an agreement to purchase these two aircrafts in 2008.
 
Biman employees expected overall scenario of the national flag carrier will be changed after joining these two new generation aircraft of boeing. But everything is deteriorating due to unplanned fleet planning.
 
During handover of Palki and Arun Alo there were technical fault in galley system of the aircraft and technical fault in engine.
 
After joining this two Biman authority informed that two Boeing 777-300 ER will be operated in Dhaka-New York, Dhaka-London route.
 
A marketing officer of Biman told banglanews that Biman has failed to resume Dhaka-New York flight, at the same time passengers were not attracted to Dhaka-London flight.  

After that Biman started to operate Dhaka-Kula Lumpur, Dhaka-Singapore with Boeing 777-300 ER.
 
Not only that Biman Dhaka-London flight makes stop over in Manchester where duration of journey between two cities’s only few hours. In the same way a few hours stop over is prevails in Dhaka-Rome-Milan flight.
 
Requesting anonymity, an engineer of Biman told banglanews that we have to need maximum utilization of Boeing 777-300 by using fleet planning while we couldn’t use it minimum.
 
By giving example the engineer told a Boeing in Dhaka-New York flight 14 hours journey uses one cycle at the same time Dhaka-Singapore few hours destination need one cycle.

An over hauling of an aircraft is needed after certain cycle. So short haul destination with Boeing 777-300 increases expense of an airlines. Moreover, repairing cost a Boeing 777-300 is so much expensive than any other aircraft.
 
Alamgir Satter, former pilot of Biman told if anyone operates long haul aircraft in short haul it incurs loss. Biman should make fleet plan considering this statistics.    
 
When contacted, Captain Sheikh Nasser Uddin Ahmed told banglanews that we have no other alternative. That’s why, we are bound to operate long haul Boeing 777-300 in short haul destination.

BDST: 1920 HRS, MAY 29, 2012

Edited by:Mohammed Humayun Kabir, Sr Newsroom Editor
M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor