Bangladesh Airlines Pilots' Association (BAPA) has demanded that Biman must resume the regular salaries of its pilots as it has done for its staff in other areas.
Otherwise, it warned, after July 30 the pilots will refrain from operating any extra flights except those in the bilateral agreement between Bangladesh Biman Airlines and the pilots’ association, read a statement published by BAPA.
BAPA said there were currently 157 pilots working in Bangladesh. It had been decided to cut their salaries by 25% to 50 % since May 2020 due to the pandemic.
However, on Tuesday, an office order signed by the Director (Administration) of Biman, Ziauddin Ahmed, withdrew salary cuts for all officers and employees of the company, except pilots.
The decision had highly disappointed the pilots, read the BAPA statement.
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Following a meeting of BAPA on Wednesday, Capt Syed Nazmul Hasan, general secretary of the association, said pilots would have to take harsher measures if the Biman authority did not revise the decision.
On Monday, BAPA sent a letter to Biman's Director of Flight Operations (DFO) regarding the matter.
BAPA said that the pilots were operating flights amid the pandemic. In doing so, 25 pilots and their family members had been infected by Covid-19. Even then, it was decided to cut the salaries of the pilots without considering the risks they were taking.
"We have operated shuttle flights to many destinations. We have flown and discharged our duties as per the regulatory approved limit, even on short notices of 36 hours. Sadly, there was no recognition at all," read the letter.
The letter also states: “To continue our support for the national flag carrier and considering the overall situation, the BAPA executive committee would like to give concessions for flights as per regulatory approval initially till July 30.”
BAPA President Capt Mahbubur Rahman said: “We took the decision to no longer operate extra flights but we will operate emergency flights for carrying medical equipment, medicines, vaccines amid the pandemic.”
Two officials of Biman, seeking anonymity, have told Dhaka Tribune that if the pilots decide not to operate extra flights, then Biman will be forced to cancel some flights, which will impact international routes, especially Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dammam and Dubai.
Due to the pandemic fallout, Biman was forced to cut salaries and had to reduce its maintenance and operational costs.
However, sources claim that operating exclusive charter flights, efficient routing and network planning during the lockdown had helped the national carrier bag a handsome revenue.