Biman Bangladesh Airlines resuming flights to Rome, hopes to restart New York route in 2024

The national carrier had ceased operations to Rome in 2009 and New York in 2006

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to resume flights to Italy 15 years after it ceased operations on the route in 2009.

The flag carrier will restart flights from Dhaka to the Italian capital of Rome on Mar 26, the airline’s Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim told bdnews24.com.

He said they also plan to resume New York flights in April, which have been closed since 2006.

Bangladesh currently does not have any direct flights to Italy. Travellers often use a Middle Eastern country, like Qatar, as a port of transit to reach the southern European country.

Since the 1990s, Bangladeshis have been migrating to Italy in large numbers, ranking seventh in immigrants from outside Europe.

In 2002, the Bangladeshi population in Italy was 22,000. Over the following two decades, this figure surged nearly sevenfold.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Rome, citing the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), reported that as of Jan 1, 2022, 150,692 Bangladeshi immigrants live in Italy, the highest among EU countries.

Bangladesh ranks third among countries receiving remittances from Italy, with 14.63 percent of total remittances sent from the country. In 2022, remittances to Bangladesh from Italy reached nearly 1.12 billion euros, compared to 1 billion euros in 2021.

The distance from Bangladesh to Italy is approximately 7,295 kilometres, with an average travel time of 15 to 16 hours from Dhaka. If the flight service resumes, the journey will be reduced to around 10 hours.

"Considering these factors, the route that was closed 15 years ago is now deemed profitable,” Azim said. “Our research indicates that there are over 300,000 Bangladeshis, some residing in Italy and others frequently travelling between the two countries, with some making multiple trips annually.”

"Even with three flights per week, we may not be able to meet the demand initially. However, we won't operate more than three flights in the beginning. We already have a ready market for this.”

"We have discussed this with the minister, who has agreed to launch flights on profitable routes. Given his previous role in the aviation ministry, we expect his positive contribution to the growth of the aviation sector."

Despite multiple attempts being made, the new Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan could not be reached for comment.

On Tuesday, the minister informed reporters at the Secretariat about ongoing development projects in Bangladesh's aviation sector under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership.

He expressed his commitment to continue these projects efficiently, leveraging his past experience.

His priorities include improving passenger service and baggage handling for state-owned airlines and exploring profitable air routes to new destinations.

EXPATRIATES SHOW INTEREST

Shamim Islam, who lives in Italy’s Milan and is originally from Shahrasti Upazila in Chandpur, expressed joy at Biman resuming flights to Rome.

"We currently travel on other foreign airlines, sending money abroad. Once the flights start, the money will stay in the country, and, most importantly, it will save time.”

He emphasised the importance of improved service quality.

Shahparan Manik lives in Rome but also hails from the same area. He was delighted. "Now we can go at least once a year. That's good news."

However, he inquired whether the flight to Rome would be direct or have a stopover.

Biman's CEO clarified, "It is not finalised yet. We're considering options like going through Qatar, using another port of transit, or having a direct flight. Our team is actively working on it."

REASONS FOR DHAKA-ROME ROUTE CLOSURE

Kazi Wahedul Alam, a former Biman board member, explained why flights to Rome were halted and assessed the potential profitability of resuming them.

The editor of the aviation and tourism magazine The Bangladesh Monitor highlighted that the cessation was due to Biman's use of outdated aircraft, such as DC-10 or Airbus A-310, which were not suitable for Rome operations.

The aviation expert mentioned that, at that time, the number of Biman's aircraft was insufficient to operate flights.

He said, "The aircraft also had some handling inefficiencies, and the marketing wasn't effective, making destinations like Rome or any European location unprofitable for the airline."

However, Biman has largely overcome these challenges, its CEO Azim explained, "A Boeing 787 with 250-270 seats will operate on the route."

Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, or CAAB, said Biman is scheduled to start flights to Rome in March, following its own plans.

"If they can handle it economically, that would be good. I would advise a thorough study, and it seems they have already conducted one.”

FLIGHTS MAY RESUME TO NYC

The national flag carrier now flies from Dhaka to London, Manchester, and Toronto.

The authority plans to start flights to New York, with an application submitted to the US Federal Aviation Authority last year.

Biman MD Azim explained that the airport facility requires upgrading to Category-1, and that other necessary processes are underway.

“We submitted the final application in May, and the FAA is currently reviewing safety issues. We expect to launch the flights by April," he said.

However, the final decision rests with the CAAB.

"We are completing our processes, but the New York decision is currently not in our hands,” Azim said. “The civil aviation authority is collaborating with the FAA on the runway category and facilities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.”

“FAA and Transportation Security Administration inspected us here last December. All our compliances received positive feedback. We have made our preparations. The ongoing discussions between the FAA and CAAB will be resolved by April or June at the latest.”

CAAB boss Rahman said, “It is a time-consuming process, but we are working to expedite it. We are satisfied with our preparations. The FAA has two more visits. They will provide a date for their final visit. Once completed, we hope to start flights soon."

In 2009, the FAA categorised CAAB as a category-2 regulatory body for security weaknesses in flight operations. To operate flights to New York, regulatory agencies must achieve Category-1 status.

[Writing in English by Arshi Fatiha Quazi; editing by Shoumik Hassin]