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Traveller complains against Biman Bangladesh Airlines

ABU DHABI - An Abu Dhabi-based employee has complained against Biman Bangladesh Airlines about the utter lack of concern for its passengers who he said have often been inconvenienced by flight delays.

Jahangir Kabir Bappi, a Bangladeshi administration staff of Jibca Group of Companies, told Khaleej Times that he has been in the UAE for 12 years and since then Biman hardly took any concern for its passengers, and never offered an apology to its valued customers in case of flight delays.

"It should at least provide the stranded passengers with food and water, or arrange hotel accommodation for longer delays, as some of them come from areas as far away as Ruwais and Al Ain," he said.

Mr Bappi said that his wife and five-year-old child were among the passengers who were left stranded at the Abu Dhabi airport from 4am till the flight finally departed at 12.30pm on March 5.

They were scheduled to depart for Dhaka by flight BG-028 at 2.30am, but the flight, they were told, had been delayed. He later learned that the aircraft from Dhaka had to be diverted to Doha before landing in Abu Dhabi.

He said that he would have understood that flight delays had been caused by the fog conditions in the emirate, but the airline should have at least minimised the inconvenience caused due to the flight delay. "My wife and child still had to travel for seven hours by bus to Bogra from Dhaka. You could just imagine all the hassle and inconvenience the delayed flight had caused," he said.

Mr Bappi said that this was not the first time that Biman had flight delays and no apology was offered by the airline. Biman, he stressed, should regularise its flight schedule, and contact its passengers for flight delays.

"The only flag carrier of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, is losing its reputation through its irregularities in maintaining its flight schedule," he said.

When asked to comment on the complaint, Aftab Uddin Sarkar, regional manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said: "The flight from Dhaka via Chittagong to Abu Dhabi takes six and a half hours. The aircraft had to be diverted to Doha due to the persistent fog at Abu Dhabi airport.

"The aircraft departed from Doha to Abu Dhabi after three hours as it had to wait till the fog cleared.

"We had provided refreshments to the stranded passengers. I was personally at the airport with my station manager to look after the passengers, particularly the elderly."

He stressed that while other airlines were forced to cancel their flights, Biman did not undergo any flight cancellations. Hence, the flight delays under the fog conditions.

"One must also note that Biman was not the only airline who experienced flight delays. Thousands of passengers of other airlines were stranded at the aiport due to flight cancellations and flight delays," he said.

As for hotel accommodation, he said it was impossible to offer it at that time, as the hotels are located 35km away from the airport.