Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to add the 4th Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, 'Rajhanso', to its fleet on Saturday instead of Thursday, report agencies.
Deputy General Manager (PR) of Biman Tahera Khondokar said the arrival of Rajhanso got delayed as Boeing, a US aircraft manufacturer, sought 48 hours more to deliver the aircraft.
She said the aircraft, which was scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday, will land on Saturday instead.
A delegation comprising officials of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines are now in Seattle to receive the aircraft from the Boeing Company.
Four pilots of Biman led by its Chief of Flight Safety Captain Shoeb Chowdhury are with the delegation to bring the aircraft here.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to formally inaugurate the Boeing 787-8 aircraft named as "Rajhangsha" as the 16th plane of Biman Bangladesh Airlines fleet on Saturday morning.
"Honourable Prime minister's programme to inaugurate the aircraft has been suspended …. we will take her fresh schedule in this regard later on," Khondokar said.
With the inclusion of the new one, the number of aircraft of the national airlines will be 16.
Biman struck a deal with Boeing in 2008 to purchase 10 aircraft from it.
Of the aircraft, Biman has already received four new Boeing 777-300ERs, two 737-800s, and three 787-8 Dreamliner.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has chosen the names of four Dreamliner as 'Akash Beena', 'Hansabalaka', 'Gangchil' and 'Rajhanso'.
Earlier, the first and second Dreamliner Boeing 787-8, named as Akash Beena and Hangsabalaka respectively, arrived here on August and December last year while the third one known as Gaangchil arrived in July last.
Names of all the aircraft were given by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself. In 2008, Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a US$2.1 billion agreement with Boeing to purchase 10 new aircrafts.
Of those, Boeing has already delivered four 777-300ER's and two 737-800's and three Dreamliners to Biman.
Rajhangsha, the 271-seat Boeing 787-8, has been designed as 20 per cent fuel efficient carrier compared to the other aircrafts. The airliner has the capacity to fly 16 hours nonstop with an average speed of 650 miles per hour.
It will provide its passengers with Wi-Fi services at a height of 43,000 feet, allowing passengers to browse the internet or connect with their friends and family from any place of the world.
