Return of EgyptAir planes: Biman to probe delay

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines has formed an inquiry committee over the mismanagement in returning the two leased aircraft to EgyptAir that cost the national carrier an extra $12 million in compensation.

Md Mokabbir Hossain, managing director of Biman, formed a two-member committee following the board decision in the end of October.

The comittee led by Biman's general manager Shakil Meraj, was asked to submit the report by this month.

The return of two defective aircraft was delayed for around two years allegedly due to the unwillingness of a section of Biman's high officials.

Earlier, Biman had sent its four engineers to Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company (VAECO) to look after the issues. But later they were found non-associated with the issues and guilty of maintenance cost-increase scam in collusion with some people from VAECO.

Therefore, Biman had to pay a high price for returning the two defected aircraft, said a senior executive of Biman.

This year in July, Biman returned the first one by paying the Egyptian airlines a penalty of Tk35 crore.

In October, the second one was returned with its due compensation.

Biman had taken the lease of two airplanes from EgyptAir in 2014 for five years, but they could use it only for a year, causing the national flag carrier a huge loss.

Both the aircraft had remained grounded because of defect in the engines since 2017.

Biman had to waste about Tk1,300 crore on the two Boeing 777-200ERs in lease amount and on repairs and replacement of engines.

Industry insiders now question the deal to lease such old aircraft and more so, because the money it had spent on the two aircraft could easily be used to snap up two brand new planes if another Tk700 crore were spent.