Biman set to induct two Boeing 737-800s on dry lease

Bangladesh’s national airliner Biman has decided to induct two Boeing 737-800s from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) to its fleet for 60 months on dry lease.Biman took the move to include the aircraft to tackle any immediate problem in its flight operation after phasing out two decades-old Airbus A310-300s.“We’ve decided to take two 737-800s on dry lease as the airliner has decided to phase out its two Airbus aircraft after September this year,” a senior Biman official said yesterday.He also said that the board of Biman gave the green signal to induct the two aircraft.“We will now start the negotiation with the company for finishing the final tasks,” the Biman official said.He also mentioned that Biman is very much optimistic to induct the aircraft by this year completing all procedures.A board member of Biman said that they have given conditional approval to start final negotiation with the lesser company. The conditions include improving the in-flight entertainment system and reconfiguring the seat arrangement as per the desire of Biman with re-registration.The seating capacity of the two aircraft will be of 162 each, with 12 in business class and 150 in economy class, according to Biman’s tender documents.It also said the age of the two aircraft will be not be more than 10 years. “We are planning to press the aircraft into service by this year,” the official added.The national flag carrier has, meanwhile, scrapped its previous move to induct two 777-200 or 777-200ER and one 777-300ER or one 737-800 along with one 777-300ER in its fleet under dry lease (only aircraft) system for 60 months.“We are thinking of resuming and introducing some new regional routes in the coming days, and that’s why we are choosing the mid-haul aircraft,” the Biman official said.Biman is currently operating flights on seven domestic and 15 international routes of the Middle East, Europe and Asia.Biman has four Boeing 777-300 ERs, two Boeing 777-200 ERs, two Airbus A310-300s, four Boeing 737-800s and two Dash-8 in its fleet. According to sources at the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry and Biman, the national flag carrier has decided to resume its operations on Dhaka-Delhi-Dhaka and Dhaka-Hong Kong-Dhaka routes.It also decided to start its operation on Dhaka-Guangzhou (China)-Dhaka, Dhaka-Colombo (Sri Lanka)-Dhaka and Dhaka-Male (the Maldives)-Dhaka routes.Biman also has the plan to start its flight operations on Dhaka-Narita (Japan)-Dhaka route after having suitable aircraft and completion of a commercial feasibility study.The airliner is in a process to resume its much-awaited Dhaka-New York-Dhaka route in the summer season in 2017 if the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) is upgraded to category-1.As per its fleet plan, the sources said, Biman has a plan to operate its flights to Sydney, Jakarta, Toronto and Madras in phases, the sources said.Biman is currently operating flights on seven domestic and 15 international routes of the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The national flag carrier went into an agreement with the US company for procuring 10 new generation aircraft – four Boeing 777-300ERs, two Boeing 737-800 and four Boeing 787 Dreamliners.Boeing has already delivered four 777-300ER and two 737-800 aircraft to the Biman.As per agreement, Boeing is scheduled to deliver four Boeing 787 Dreamliners by 2018-2019.“We are thinking of resuming and introducing some new regional routes in the coming days, and that’s why we are choosing the mid-haul aircraft”