Saudi Arabia extends Biman's pre-Hajj flights till August 28

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has received approval to operate dedicated Hajj flights from Dhaka to Jeddah for an additional two days, till August 28. As a result of the approval from the Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation, the national carrier will now be able to operate eight more flights to carry pilgrims over August 27 and 28. As per the previous flight schedule, the national flag carrier’s pre-Hajj flights were supposed to end on Saturday, August 26. Confirming the news, Biman General Manager (PR) and spokesperson Shakil Meraj told the Dhaka Tribune that around 800 pilgrims would have missed Hajj this year if the extra landing slots had not been granted. “As we received the approval, now all pilgrims can be transported to Jeddah without any hassle or suffering,” he said. Earlier, Biman had applied for 12 additional slots, but was only granted two. As of Saturday, Biman had transported 60,099 pilgrims to Jeddah, while Saudi Arabian Airlines had carried 55,631. This year, the national flag carrier was compelled to cancel 24 flights as Hajj pilgrims failed to board for a number of complications including visa problems. Biman has hence redeployed several large aircraft for smooth operation of dedicated Hajj flights while also requesting the additional landing slots.