3 foreign firms offer aircraft to Biman for hajj flights

National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines has received offers from three companies to supply one wide-bodied aircraft for carrying pilgrims to Saudi Arabia during the upcoming hajj, a senior Biman official involved in the process told the news agency over telephone.

The official said Biman decided to take the aircraft on lease for three months and it is hard to get a greater response in such a short period. But, the official would not disclose the names of the respondents.

He said the "proposal open committee" of the state run airliner after their work will submit the proposals to the Techno Finance sub-committee, which is also known as the evaluation committee.

The committee, after reviewing, will submit recommendations to the Biman Board. "The Board will take the final decision," the Biman official said.

The national flag carrier will take the aircraft on Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) lease, which is also called wet lease, and it must fly 750 block hours.

The Biman official said they have decided to take the aircraft on a lease to operate hajj flights in a smooth manner.

"We can operate the Hajj flights with our own aircraft, but for that we have to suspend some of our existing routes," he said.