Biman flying passengers stranded in Dubai home on different flight after two-day delay

Due to a malfunction in the Boeing 787-8’s cooling system, an alternative arrangement has been made for the stranded passengers, says the airline

Passengers of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight stranded at Dubai International Airport for two days are being sent home on an alternative Boeing 777-300 flight.

On Thursday, Sakia Sultana, the regional manager for Biman in Dubai, said the cooling system of the original aircraft, a Boeing 787-8, had malfunctioned, forcing the airline to switch planes.

The Boeing 777-300, which has a capacity of 419 passengers, will carry the 178 passengers who had been stranded since Tuesday, as well as those scheduled to fly on Thursday.

The aircraft reached Dubai from Dhaka at 10:15pm local time on Thursday and was set to depart for Sylhet at 12:05am. The flight is scheduled to reach Sylhet by 6:50am and then land at Shahjalal International Airport at 8:55am after a short stopover.

A technical team had flown from Dhaka to Dubai on the Boeing 777-300 to assist with the aircraft’s replacement. The stranded flight, which touched down in Dubai from Dhaka on Tuesday at 10:11pm local time, was supposed to depart for Dhaka by 12:05am.

As a result, 175 passengers were moved to hotels, while three were kept at the airport lounge due to visa issues. After multiple delays, the aircraft repair could not be completed, forcing the passengers to stay overnight at the airport lounge.

Habib Ahmed, one of the stranded passengers, expressed frustration, saying: "I chose this flight to reach Dhaka quickly, but the delay has caused trouble for everyone, including women, children, and the elderly."