Biman flight, after emergency landing in India, to return tonight

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight which made an emergency landing in Nagpur, India today, Friday, will be returning along with its passengers tonight. An eight-member rescue team is being dispatched to Nagpur from Dhaka at 6:45 this evening.

Chief executive officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, said that the pilot of Biman flight BG 022 on the Muscat-Dhaka route fell ill while on the way to Dhaka.

The flight had to make an emergency landing at the Nagpur Babasaheb International Airport in Maharashtra, India, at 10:40am local time there. All the passengers on the flight are safe. They have been provided with meals and are resting at the airport lounge.

Bangladesh Biman, in a press release, said that the pilot fell ill while the flight was above Raipur, India. Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) was contacted and they advised an emergency landing. The flight landed at Nagpur accordingly. After the flight landed, the pilot of the aircraft, Captain Naushad Ataul Quayum was taken to the emergency department of Hope Hospital where he was admitted for medical treatment. His condition is improving.

Biman's Delhi office country manager has been sent to Nagpur on an urgent basis to provide the passengers and crew with necessary assistance.

Meanwhile, an eight-member rescue team is leaving at 6:45pm from Dhaka for Nagpur by a Biman scheduled flight. The passengers stranded there will be brought back to Dhaka tonight (Friday) by the BG 022 flight, the Biman authorities have said.