Portal:Bangladesh/Selected article archive/December 2007

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Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Bangla:বিমান বাংলাদেশ) is the national airline of Bangladesh, based at Zia International Airport in Dhaka. It provides domestic as well as international service to Asia and Europe, but derives most of its revenue from flights to Osmani International Airport, Sylhet. It has Air Services Agreements with 42 countries, although it maintains flights to only 18. Until July 2007, the airlines was owned by the Government of Bangladesh; on 23 July 2007, it was transformed into Bangladesh's largest Public Limited Company by the then Caretaker government of Bangladesh.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines was established on 4 January 1972 to be Bangladesh's national airline under the Bangladesh Biman Ordinance (Presidential Order No. 126). The initiative to launch the national flag carrier, was taken by 2,500 former employees, including 10 Boeing 707 commanders and 7 other pilots, of Pakistan International Airlines, who submitted a proposal to the government on 31 December 1971 following the independence of Bangladesh. The airline was initially called Air Bangladesh International but was soon renamed Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Initially Biman operated an internal monopoly in Bangladesh until 1996. Dogged by corruption and accidents, the airline suffers from an ageing fleet, with some of its long-haul aircraft banned for safety reasons from the US and EU member states. Annual Hajj flights, labour migrants as well as Biman's subsidiaries, form an important part of the ailing carrier's business. Biman has a 2 star ranking out of 5 by Skytrax, a United Kingdom-based consultancy. (more...)