Third Dreamliner to join Biman Thursday
Fourth expected to come by Sept this year
The third Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft is going to join the fleet of national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Thursday.
A joint team from the Biman and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism recently visited Seattle in the United States of America to take delivery of the latest model of airplane from manufacturer Boeing.
The new aircraft is scheduled to land on the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday, flying around 11,450 kilometres from Seattle.
This is the ninth aircraft Biman purchased at a cost of above Tk1,000 crore with the financing from state-owned Sonali Bank.
The brand new 271 seated aircraft will operate on different international routes, including London, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, according to the Biman’s route plan.
In 2008, Biman Bangladesh made a $2.1 billion deal to purchase 10 aircraft, including four Dreamliners, from world-renowned Boeing.
Biman has already received delivery of eight aircraft, including two 787 Dreamliners, said a senior official of the Biman.
The fourth Dreamliner is expected to add to the fleet in September this year, said Tahera Khondoker, deputy general manager, public relations of the Biman.
The high technology based aircraft, with a fuel-efficient engine, is capable of flying at a speed of 650 kilometres per hour, said she.
The latest features of the plane will give more comfort to the air passengers, she said, adding that the cabin pressure in the 787 model is lower and the humidity is higher than other airplanes.
According to experts, lower cabin pressure can prevent a potential medical emergency for those with certain conditions, particularly involving lungs or heart, while higher humidity helps alleviate notorious dehydrating effect of airplanes.
At present, Biman however has 16 aircraft, both leased and purchased, and operates on 7 domestic and 16 international destinations, according to the Biman website.
In a recent move to expand destinations, Biman resumed its Dhaka-Delhi direct flights in May this year, which was suspended in 2015.
Besides, it has a plan to expand its wing to three other international destinations, including Guangzhou in China.
Biman started its journey in January 1972 with a DC-3 aircraft. After procuring two F-27s, Biman finally took-off on 7 March 1972 with domestic flights to Chittagong and Sylhet from its base at Dhaka.
Shortly after that, a Boeing 707 aircraft joined the airline’s fleet, allowing Biman to begin international flights.
