Biman Bangladesh Airlines incurred losses of $25 million in the last fiscal year 2012-2013, but made improvement from the FY 2011-2012 when it had sustained losses of $75 million.
‘Biman has gradually been slashing its financial losses and is going for breakeven,’ said Biman managing director Kevin Steele at a press briefing at the Biman head office Balaka in the capital on Sunday.
‘We anticipate $10 million in losses in the FY 2013-2014,’ he said.
Kevin said, ‘We have leased one 582-seated B-747-400 and one B-767 aircraft to carry the Hajj pilgrimage this year. The Hajj flights will be operated by B-747 and the Biman’s two B-777-300ER aircraft.’
This year Biman will carry around 44,500 out of 89,000 pilgrims from Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet to Jedda.
The leased B-767 aircraft will also operate some pre and post Hajj flights domestically and regionally, he said.
He said that Biman had already started selling the tickets for Hajj flights and pilgrims must buy e-tickets introduced for the first time.
The Hajj flight will begin on September 7 with B-747 aircraft.
Kevin said the travel agents would not be able to manipulate the ticket purchase as Biman had introduced the e-ticket system.
He announced that Biman was now set to get its two new B-777-300ER aircraft by next February or March after a successful presentation of the prospects of the aircraft to Exim Bank in Washington for getting loan.
The aircraft would be used to inaugurate flights to New York, on some routes of Europe, Middle East and China, he said.
About the schedule Kevin said Biman’s timekeeping was only 35 per cent in 2012 but in June this year it rose to 61.5 per cent and in July to 67.4 per cent.
Biman will launch pre-reserved seats on selected overseas flights and travel agents portal within the next two weeks.
Referring to the recent criticisms by prime minister Sheikh Hasina about the Biman’s in-flight services, Kevin said Biman would introduce in-flight magazine ‘Bihanga’, new duty-free products, improved in-flight entertainment, new business class, over-night kits, improved catering and new children activity packs by this October.
-With New Age input
