Biman Bangladesh Airlines

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Bangladesh. Its main hub is at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, and also operates flights from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong. 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. The airline"s headquarters, Balaka Bhaban, is located in Kurmitola, Dhaka.

History

Established in February 1972, Biman enjoyed an internal monopoly in the Bangladesh aviation industry until 1996. In the decades following its founding, the airline expanded its fleet and destinations, but it was adversely affected by corruption and mishaps. At its peak, Biman operated flights to 29 international destinations as far away as New York City to the west and Tokyo to the east. The airline has suffered heavy financial losses, and has a reputation for poor service because of regular flight cancellations and delays caused by its ageing fleet. For safety reasons, some of Biman"s long-haul aircraft have been banned in the United States and the European Union. The carrier is currently facing competition from a number of local private airlines as well as some international carriers. Since becoming a public limited company, the airline has begun to modernise its fleet.

Main route

Biman has air service agreements with 43 countries, but only operates its routes to 16, leaving room for expansion for which it lacks aircraft. The airline operates flights to several destinations in the Middle East, some destinations in South and South East Asia and four destinations in Europe (London, Manchester, Milan and Rome).

Fleet

Biman Bangladesh Airlines fleet includes the following aircrafts: 3 Airbus A310-300, 2 Boeing 737-800, 1 Boeing 747-400, 2 Boeing 777-300ER, 4 Fokker F-28 and 4 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30.