Biman plans to resume flights on domestic routes

National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines is likely to resume its flights on domestic routes by December next, eying the local aviation market which is dominated by private local airliners.

"We’re expecting to resume the domestic routes by December," Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told UNB.

He said the process to procure two 45-80 seated single-class turboprop aircraft for five years is at the final stage. "Currently, Biman is negotiating with one company for procuring those aircraft," Menon said.

Responding to a query, the minister said, Biman is negotiating with an Egyptian company about the procurement price.

The national flag carrier suspended its domestic flights on four among seven routes in 2007 due to continuous losses and shortage of aircraft.

Later, in 2012, it resumed domestic flights on a limited number of routes, including Dhaka-Chittagong-Dhaka and Dhaka-Sylhet-Dhaka routes.