Flight cancellation leads to Tk 40cr revenue loss: Biman MD

.
.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd managing director AM Mosaddique Ahmed on Wednesday claimed that the national flag carrier has so far incurred a loss of Tk 400 million (Tk 40 crore) in revenue following the cancellation of hajj flights.

He came up with the claim at a press conference at Biman head office in the city.

Biman has so far cancelled 19 hajj flights for lack of pilgrims.

Asked about the total monetary loss due to the flight cancellation, Mosaddique said, "We aren't carrying the pilgrims commercially. However, we've been deprived of Tk 40 crore as revenue."

He, however, said Biman has got 14 additional landing slots alongside the existing ones from Saudi Arabia to carry the hajj pilgrims who could not fly due to visa complexities.

"The Saudi Arabia government has provided 14 additional landing slots to carry 4,687 hajj pilgrims who couldn't fly due to the cancellation of 19 hajj flights till now," said the Biman MD.

He, however, said it will not be possible to use more than 7-8 slots due to the shortage of aircraft and convenient schedules. "We'll ask the Saudi government to arrange more convenient slots so that we can carry all the 4,687 pilgrims."

Replying to a query about the root of the complexities, the Biman MD said the problem has arisen for lack of coordination among the Bangladeshi hajj agencies in renting houses for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Although Biman has a capacity to carry around 419 passengers in every flight, the national flag carrier has been carrying around 310 hajj pilgrims on average, ferrying 9,887 less than the capacity till now.

Replying to another question, Mosaddique said they have allocated tickets to some 150 private hajj agencies out of total 625 receiving 50 percent advance money.

"Biman will take actions against those agencies which failed to send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in the scheduled flights due to complexities," he added.

Biman has so far operated some 70 flights to carry some 24,115 pilgrims which is 38 percent of the total number of pilgrims the national flag carrier is expected to carry, the Biman MD said, adding that they would have carried 54 percent of the pilgrims by now had not the complexities created.

Some 127,198 pilgrims are scheduled to go to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj this year.

Of them, Bangladesh Biman will carry 50 percent while Saudi Airlines the rest ones.

Biman started the hajj flights on 24 July and will continue till 26 August.