'Palki' joins Biman fleet

First of the 10 Boeings Bangladesh Biman ordered arrives in Dhaka

Dhaka, Oct 23 (bdnews24.com) — First of the 10 Boeings Bangladesh Biman ordered has arrived in Dhaka.

Boeing 777-300 (ER) touched down the Shahjalal International Airport around 6:15pm on Sunday, Biman general manager Khan Mosharraf Hossain told bdnews24.com.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the 419-seater on Oct 26, he said.

Authorities of the national flag carrier Biman have named the new plane 'Palki' (palanquin).

In 2008, Biman signed a deal with Boeing for four 777s, four 787s and two 737s aircraft involving $2.5 billion.

Forty-year-old Biman has 11 aircraft, three of which are hired.

The national flag carrier is operating on 19 international and three domestic routes.

Another Boeing 777-300 (ER) is likely to arrive in Dhaka next month.

Biman was incorporated on July 23, 2007 despite being under a burden of Tk 20 billion debt. In the next two years, it saw profits of Tk 210 million following spending cuts, but saw losses in the next two years again.

Civil aviation minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader on June 1 told parliament that in 2009-10, Biman incurred losses to the tune of Tk 800 million, and that an investigation committee was formed to look into the matter.

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