Biman to hire two aircraft to avert any crisis

Biman sources said that the national flag carrier will hire two sophisticated aircraft with a capacity of more than 305 seats each.

In response to an international tender floated by Biman, a Jordanian airline offered to lease two Boeing-747s and an AL-1011 while a French airline a Boeing-747.

The tender was floated on April 20 and the deadline for submitting the tender documents was June 5.

Dr MA Momen, managing director of Biman, told BDNEWS that the aircraft are being hired in advance to avoid any unwanted controversy over the Hajj flight as happened last year.

"The hired aircraft will arrive in Bangladesh during the operation of Hajj flights," he said.

Last year, Biman hired an Airbus and a Boeing-747 in November for its Hajj flight operation that began on December 23.

But this time the Biman authorities are trying to complete the process about seven months ahead of the Hajj flight operation.

Biman sources said they are expecting to ferry a total of 32,500 Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah this year.

The Hajj flight will be operated from November 25 to February 6.

Biman transported about 25,000 Hajj pilgrims last year. But a crisis over the Hajj flight occurred that time as the other airlines declined to ferry Hajj pilgrims at 1050 US dollars per person fixed by Biman.

The Middle East-bound airlines ferry Hajj pilgrims at US$ 1350 to 1400. The Saudia also transports the same number of Hajj pilgrims as Biman.

The last year's controversy over the airfare of Hajj pilgrims led to the resignation of the then state minister for civil aviation Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin.