Biman Flight Debacle
Passengers stage rowdy protests
Biman passengers yesterday resorted to violent protests at the airport vandalising glasses of a counter of the national carrier in the wake of total collapse in flight schedules.
Biman authorities however made an unconditional apology to the passengers, many of whom remained stuck at Shahjalal International Airport for the last three days.
The authorities requested the passengers to keep patience until September 24 as they have no means at hand to restore discipline in flight schedule now.
Amid the chaotic situation, Biman yesterday started ferrying Bangladeshi pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj this year.
Witnesses said Biman staff beat up one of the passengers, who gathered at the counter to protest against frequent schedule changes around 2:30pm.
This led to an altercation and scuffle between Biman staff and the agitated passengers.
“At one stage of the brawl, aggrieved passengers vandalised glasses at a sales counter,” said Riyadh-bound passenger Jubair Hossain who remained stranded at the airport since Saturday.
Like Jubair, travel plans of several thousand passengers have been hampered since September 12 as Biman cancelled around 10 flights due to acute shortage of aircraft.
During a visit to the airport, more than 500 passengers who were scheduled to leave for different Middle Eastern destinations were found stranded at the airport as Biman cancelled its Dhaka-Riyadh, Chittagong-Dhaka-Abu Dhabi, Dhaka-Kuwait, Dhaka-Kolkata and Dhaka-Hong Kong flights.
Biman officials said they also extended schedules of a number of flights.
Many of the passengers have been waiting for their flights since September 15 and enduring untold sufferings with no food and accommodation service.
“I came to the airport on September 15 to catch my flight scheduled for 5:00pm. Since then I’m staying at the airport and having food on my own cost,” Ramzan Ali who works in Riyadh told The Daily Star.
He added many labourers are at risk of losing their jobs as they will not be able to report in time.
The disorder hit Biman as a leased Boeing 747, which could carry 505 passengers, left the airliner on September 12. Its owner Air Atlanta Icelandic pulled the aircraft off Biman’s service without prior notice eight days before the lease was scheduled to end.
The situation turned worse as a Boeing 777-300ER was grounded for 15 hours after a bird hit its engine on Sunday while it was landing at Shahjalal Airport.
Moreover, an airbus which was supposed to join the fleet on September 15 after overhauling in Singapore did not arrive, Biman sources say.
The sources add Air Atlanta could pull its aircraft from Biman fleet before the deadline as there was loophole in the agreement from Biman’s part and the national carrier made advance payment for a month.
They allege Biman is now facing the schedule chaos since Biman Board of Directors decided to operate Hajj flights with four of its own aircraft and without having enough backup planes.
Biman’s acting managing director AM Mosaddique Ahmed yesterday made unconditional apology to passengers for their sufferings. Asked when they will be able to restore discipline, he said there is no chance of maintaining the flight schedules till September 24.
HAJJ FLIGHTS BEGIN
Biman officials said a Boeing 777-300ER of the national flag carrier left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia with 419 pilgrims at 5:00am. Six hours later, another Boeing 777 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines followed the previous one.
Besides, another Boeing 777 and one hired Boeing 747 left the airport in the afternoon and last night with pilgrims for Saudi Arabia.
This year Biman will carry 56,284 of the total 112,568 Hajj pilgrims. The rest will be ferried by Saudi Airlines and National Air Services (NAS) of Saudi Arabia and they will start flight operation on September 21.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
