Delay in Boeing's maiden flight costs Biman Tk 6.8 million
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Mashiur Rahaman
The state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines took 14 days to make the maiden flight with its newly leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft, costing the national flag carrier Tk 6.8 million without even take-off.
Biman received a mid-haul Boeing 737-800 from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) on dry-lease basis on January 25. The country's national airlines has finalised lease agreement for two similar-category aircraft with the American aircraft leasing company against a monthly Tk 15.7 million payment for each plane.
As the Boeing 737-800 was scheduled to make its maiden flight on February 7 to Nepal's capital Kathmandu, Biman will have to pay an amount of Tk 0.52 million per day since its day of arrival, a well placed Biman official told the FE.
"Lack of inter-departmental coordination within is responsible for this wastage of Biman's hard earned revenue," the official lamented requesting anonymity.
He said that they had requested the department concerned not to receive the aircraft until the complete route plan and required documentation was laid out.
"It's strange that the authorities have brought the aircraft in and were paying a huge amount of money with every passing day, keeping the plane idle in the hanger," he added.
Apparently out of desperation and to survive in the rapidly growing aviation industry, Biman Bangladesh Airlines finalised lease agreement on two 189-seater Boeing 737-800 aircraft with GECAS. It also signed agreement with International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) for a 240-seater Airbus 310-300 aircraft and two wide-body Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from Lisbon-based Euro Atlantic Airways.
Among them, both the Boeing 737-800s have arrived, whereas Airbus 310-300 is expected to arrive on 12 February from Miami, USA. Euro Atlantic has delivered one of their Boeing 777-200ER aircraft to Biman on January 21, while the second one is yet to be delivered.
Biman currently owns three types of aircraft - four McDonnell Douglas DC10-30s, four Fokker F28s, and two Airbus A310-300s. Production of DC10-30s and F28s came to an end in the 1980s due to their lack of viability.
While formally launching Biman's new brand and livery on February 3, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned that all sorts of corruption and irregularities in Biman will be dealt with an iron hand. She also urged the top management of the state carrier to re-establish all suspended Biman routes to the destinations where a good number of Bangladeshi expatriates live.
The state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines took 14 days to make the maiden flight with its newly leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft, costing the national flag carrier Tk 6.8 million without even take-off.
Biman received a mid-haul Boeing 737-800 from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) on dry-lease basis on January 25. The country's national airlines has finalised lease agreement for two similar-category aircraft with the American aircraft leasing company against a monthly Tk 15.7 million payment for each plane.
As the Boeing 737-800 was scheduled to make its maiden flight on February 7 to Nepal's capital Kathmandu, Biman will have to pay an amount of Tk 0.52 million per day since its day of arrival, a well placed Biman official told the FE.
"Lack of inter-departmental coordination within is responsible for this wastage of Biman's hard earned revenue," the official lamented requesting anonymity.
He said that they had requested the department concerned not to receive the aircraft until the complete route plan and required documentation was laid out.
"It's strange that the authorities have brought the aircraft in and were paying a huge amount of money with every passing day, keeping the plane idle in the hanger," he added.
Apparently out of desperation and to survive in the rapidly growing aviation industry, Biman Bangladesh Airlines finalised lease agreement on two 189-seater Boeing 737-800 aircraft with GECAS. It also signed agreement with International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) for a 240-seater Airbus 310-300 aircraft and two wide-body Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from Lisbon-based Euro Atlantic Airways.
Among them, both the Boeing 737-800s have arrived, whereas Airbus 310-300 is expected to arrive on 12 February from Miami, USA. Euro Atlantic has delivered one of their Boeing 777-200ER aircraft to Biman on January 21, while the second one is yet to be delivered.
Biman currently owns three types of aircraft - four McDonnell Douglas DC10-30s, four Fokker F28s, and two Airbus A310-300s. Production of DC10-30s and F28s came to an end in the 1980s due to their lack of viability.
While formally launching Biman's new brand and livery on February 3, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned that all sorts of corruption and irregularities in Biman will be dealt with an iron hand. She also urged the top management of the state carrier to re-establish all suspended Biman routes to the destinations where a good number of Bangladeshi expatriates live.