De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has delivered the first of three new Dash 8-400 aircraft ordered by Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the aircraft is enroute to Bangladesh. The aircraft were ordered under a purchase agreement that was signed between Biman and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) in 2018 and will join two Dash 8-400 aircraft that were introduced to Biman’s fleet in 2015 and 2018.
“Our Dash 8-400 aircraft’s excellent economics and passenger environment have allowed us to offer high-frequency services within Bangladesh and neighboring countries over the last five years and we look forward to the increased operational flexibility that our new aircraft will provide for our fleet,” said Md Mokabbir Hossain, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Biman. “The combination of our Dash 8-400 turboprops and our narrow body jets improves our overall network efficiency, connectivity and, ultimately, our system profitability. Furthermore, during the ongoing pandemic, we have found that the role of our Dash 8-400 aircraft is even more important as we see gradual traffic recovery after the lockdown.
“In today’s environment, we also appreciate the Dash 8-400 aircraft’s excellent cabin air system which includes High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration to keep our passengers and crew safe,” added Mr. Hossain.
“The Dash 8-400 aircraft’s turboprop economics and jet-like performance have proven to be an ideal match for Biman’s network of short, domestic routes and longer, international routes,” said Rob Baseggio, Regional Vice President, Sales, De Havilland Canada. “In addition, the Dash 8-400 aircraft’s greater passenger and cargo capacity set it apart from the competition and provide Biman with the opportunity to optimize its network operations.”
“Canada’s strong bilateral ties with Bangladesh through trade and investment, developmental cooperation, and people-to-people links are focused on improving the lives of Bangladeshi people. CCC is therefore exceedingly proud that the successful delivery of the first new Dash 8-400 aircraft to Biman Bangladesh Airlines will provide increased access to domestic and international destinations and support economic growth in the country,” said Ernie Briard, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, CCC.
