Biman to operate Dhaka-Rome flight from March

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has decided to resume its Dhaka-Rome-Dhaka flight after 15 years tentatively from March 26 next marking the Independence Day.
 
“We have been preparing to connect with Rome from March next as part of Biman’s ongoing international route expansion efforts,” Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim said at an interactive event with the aviation journalists in the capital on Thursday.
 
Supplementing the Biman’s chief, the national flag carrier’s director marketing and sales Mohammad Salahuddin said, currently, they are conducting a feasibility study to determine whether it would be a direct Dhaka-Rome flight or a flight via Kuwait or UAE.     
 
"We discontinued the Dhaka-Rome flight after 2009. Now it will be resumed, for which GSA (General Sales Agent) has been appointed, and ground-handling has also been finalized”, he added.
 
Salahuddin said it will take 9-10 hours for the direct flight to reach Rome adding that the flight will be operated with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with minimum three weekly flights.
 
Aviation and Tourism Journalist Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) organized its flagship event styled “ATJFB Dialogue” at the Bangladesh Airlines Training Centre (BATC) in the capital.
 
While seeking his comments on an update regarding simultaneous proposals made by two global aircraft giants- European Airbus and US’s Boeing, , Azim said Biman will purchase aircraft from only that company which ensures sustainable profit to the state-owned carrier. 
   
Referring to his recent meeting with Boeing high officials and US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, Biman’s MD said, the American plane maker gave a proposal to sell two wide body aircraft to Biman.      
 
Boeing made an offer when Biman has been engaged in a negotiation with its archrival Airbus to purchase 10 wide body A350 aircraft including two freighters.   
 
Replying to another question, Azim clarified that Biman is not under any political pressure to buy aircraft from any particular country. “We are scrutinising. We will buy the one which is good for us,” he said. 
 
The CEO said Biman is planning to set up a regional base at Sylhet and Chittagong with hanger, engineering and catering support. 
 
This initiative has been taken as currently Biman’s long haul wide body aircraft are wasting its engine cycle by operating short flight from Dhaka to Sylhet and Chittagong to connect those cities with long international destinations.      
 
Azim said Biman is preparing to establish a state of the art Flight Simulator training facility in the capital’s Purbachal area on ten Bigha of land.
 
“After having the simulator training facility locally, we would be able to provide training to pilots of Biman and other airlines which will save a huge amount of forex,” he added.             
 
Azim also informed that a new modern Biman Call Centre will be inaugurated in February, 2024.  
 
ATJFB President and Special Correspondent of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Md Tanzim Anwar, moderated the dialogue while its general secretary Bangla Vision Special Correspondent Ziaul Haque Sabuj gave the welcome speech.  
 
Senior officials of Biman and ATJFB members were present in the dialogue.