Biman Bangladesh Airlines, or also commonly referred to as Biman, is the flag carrier of Bangladesh. The airline's main hub is at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while the second hubs include Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. The airline is known to cater to passenger flights as well as is a freight carrier. It has been able to connect to a handful of international destinations along with some prominent domestic routes. Biman Bangladesh Airlines offers services to multitudes of destinations and even has air service agreements with about 42 countries. The airline's main headquarters is located in Balaka Bhaban which is in Kurmitola, to the north of Dhaka. Along with regular daily flights, Biman Bangladesh Airlines also accommodates annual Hajj flights that transport pilgrims to the holy city. Along with this, some of the pivotal features include transporting tourists, migrants and non-resident workers of Bangladesh as well as catering to the activities of the subsidiaries form an important business structure of the airline.

In the air transport industry of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has experienced tremendous growth over the years with an average annual growth rate of 8 per cent, credits for which goes to a massive number of outbound tourists, domestic tourists connecting within the country and non-resident Bangladeshi travellers. The airline also faces competition with a bunch of private Bangladeshi airlines that extensively work in the regional sector. The airline came into existence in 1972 and enjoyed a private and uninterrupted monopoly in the aviation sector of Bangladesh for nearly 24 years. However, in 1996, over airline's fleet expansions coupled with corruption and mismanagement led to severe setbacks. During its peak years, the airline operated flights to about 29 international routes which also included long-haul flights to New York City and Tokyo. Initially, Biman Bangladesh Airlines was wholly owned and operated under the government of Bangladesh until 2007. The government transformed it into the country's largest public limited enterprise. The same was done by the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh.

With a transformation in its management and ownership and the fact that it became a public limited company, Biman Bangladesh Airlines started cutting back on expenses to accommodate expansion plans. They reduced the crew and airport staff to enable modernisation of its fleet. The airline signed a deal for ten Boeing aircraft along with a provision for a possible ten more orders in 2008. The airline received its new aircraft which were well-equipped with in-flight services ranging from high-end amenities such as WiFi and mobile telephony to live TV stream facilities. With this, the airline managed to expand its international routes and added more destinations to its list of connectivity. The airline is certified to fly in the European air space as it has received certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency for following their protocols. Additionally, the airline has also passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit, enabling the services to restart in some of its previous Asian and European destinations. Much recently, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has also earned a reputation for its improvement in punctuality and on-time flight performance.

Fleet size of Biman Bangladesh

As of 2020, the fleet size of Biman Bangladesh Airlines is 18 and accommodates aircraft such as Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787-8s, Boeing 787-9s and Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s. Right after the independence of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh Airlines commenced and chartered its first flight with a DC-3 aircraft in 1972. In the same year, the airline acquired two F-27s and catered to its domestic route by flying to Chittagong and Sylhet from Dhaka. Soon, the airline also enabled the addition of a Boeing 707 aircraft in its fleet. With this, it kickstarted international operations of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

By the end of 1970s, the airline managed to have a fleet consisting of 8 F27s and 5 Boeing 707s that served the international routes as well as domestic routes. However, following a new decade, the airline also enhanced its fleet by adding a Fokker 28-4000, 3 wide-body DC1-30s and eventually a DC10-30. With this, they managed to phase out the use of F27, which was already ageing. Instead, they purchased new ATPs for domestic and regional flight operations. By 1996, Biman Bangladesh Airlines acquired its first Airbus as it purchased two Airbus 310-300 from Airbus Company. ATPs also phased out. As a means to further modernise their fleet, the airline brought in Boeing aircraft. Over the years, the airline has managed to transform its fleet into an all-Boeing aircraft.

Baggage Allowance

Biman Bangladesh Airlines' baggage allowance is slightly different from the globally set standards. The airline allows a baggage weight of 30 kg for business class passengers, 20 kg for economy class passengers and about 10 kg for infants. The weight is lower compared to the usual standards where the business class receives baggage allowance of 32 kg weight while the economy class gets 23 kg maximum free to carry as checked baggage. The business class passengers are required to accommodate 30 kg within two pieces of baggage. The dimensions of the baggage should collectively stand at 158 cm for each bag and not exceed more than the set measurements. Per piece of baggage cannot exceed more than 30 kg.

The economy class provides a fairly different baggage allowance policy by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Passengers flying from the economy class cannot exceed the weight of their baggage beyond 20 kgs. The good thing here is that the airline allows two pieces of baggage to the passenger. The bag dimension is the same as that of the business class for checked luggage. The carry-on luggage, as allowed by the airline for business class, is up to 10 kg weight and only one piece along with an accessory bag is allowed. As for the economy class passenger, the limitations are 7 kg with a piece of accessory baggage permitted onboard.

In-flight services

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has been working relentlessly to ensure that the in-flight services provided by them meet the global standards. Over the years since its inception, the airline has managed to rise above the ranks to cater to the in-flight requirements of its passengers. The airline's fleet offers business class and economy class cabins that accommodate comfortable seating arrangement as well as seats. The plush leather seats with its recline degree are perfect for passengers travelling to domestic as well as international destinations. The cabins also provide decent legroom along with armrest and personalised entertainment systems. Passengers can enjoy the best of entertainment content that is latest and available in-flight. Other in-flight services of Biman Bangladesh Airlines include the seats are equipped with personal lamps. In case passengers need blankets, pillows, noise-cancelling earplugs and headphones, to name a few, they can request for the same to the flight attendant.

The flight attendant on Biman Bangladesh Airlines is well-trained and very helpful. With help to accommodate overhead bin baggage to order for in-flight meals, the passengers can approach the flight attendants for any of these concerns, and they will be given the necessary items. Further, the airline has also added ideal equipment and engines that do not affect the smooth flight experience of the passengers.

Popular routes and top cities for Biman Bangladesh

As of 2020, Biman Bangladesh Airlines caters to 25 destinations out of which 17 operate on international routes. Although the number of top cities that the airline connects with is less, they have announced that further expansions and international routes, as well as domestic routes connectivity, will be enhanced as 43 countries have agreed to allow the airline's operations. In terms of domestic route connectivity, some of the top cities in Biman Bangladesh Airlines include Barisal, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Jessore, Rajshahi, Saidpur and Sylhet. Some of the international routes include Delhi, Kolkata, Kuwait City, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Dammam, Riyadh, Medina, Jeddah, Bangkok, London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore, to name a few. The airline did have international routes connecting to New York City, Karachi, Tokyo-Narita, Rome, Mumbai, Frankfurt and more. However, they have terminated connectivity to these destinations as of now.