Biman to stop flying Dhaka-Frankfurt from November

Lack of passengers has forced the loss-making Biman Bangladesh Airlines to stop flights to Frankfurt from November.

The management informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism of its decision on Monday.

The flag carrier resumed operations on the route from Mar 31, after a seven-year gap, with two weekly flights.

Committee chief Faruk Khan told bdnews24.com that the decision was taken as there were not many passengers on the route.

A Biman board director said they had been counting losses on the route for a long time.

"We wanted to connect Kathmandu, Kolkata or Singapore with this (Dhaka-Frankfurt) route but didn't succeed," he said declining to be named. "That's why the [Biman] board decided to close the route."

Biman official said the national airlines suffered Tk 147 million in losses – Tk 7 million each week – until Aug 23 since resuming operations on the route.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon had earlier said the route would not be closed down.

At the Parliamentary Standing Committee's Aug 25 meeting, Biman officials said former managing director Kevin Steele had reopened the route after "adequate evaluation".

Then committee chief Khan, a former civil aviation minister himself, had described the Biman officials' response as "very sad".

"One official cannot be held responsible for one route. The organisation is involved here," he said.

On Sept 23, the committee recommended the flag carrier to stop operating on loss-making routes.

Biman's management decided to cancel eight routes on Sept 25, documents from the committee indicated.

It decided to increase flights on profitable routes and shut down the loss-making ones eventually.

Khan said Biman also decided to increase its weekly flights on the Dhaka-London route to four from Oct 31.

Feasibility study on operating two weekly flights to Japan was also under consideration, he said.

"Dhaka-Tokyo flight will be introduced from next year if it is found profitable. At the same time, flights on the Dhaka-Guanzhou route, too, will be introduced."

"We've recommended informing passengers via mobile messages if there's any delay in flight on both local and international routes from December," he said.