Shawdesh Desk:

There has been no official decision yet on the ground handling work at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim has said.

“The prime minister gave a clear directive during her visit to the airport that the ground handling should be improved, it should be world-class. We have been working to ensure that since then,” he said.

“Since then, we have been procuring new equipment. We  have already bought new equipment worth Tk 1,000 crore, and a Tk 600-700 crore budget to buy new equipment is in the pipeline. We have recruited manpower as well,” said the national flag carrier CEO.

“There are limitations in this too, but we are working day and night,” he said.

A project with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is on, he added.

“We are providing ground handling services to all foreign aircraft coming in, and they have had no complaints. Despite many limitations, we are providing ground handling services 24/7 for domestic and foreign aircraft,” the Biman CEO said.

He said that once the third terminal at Dhaka airport goes into operation, Biman will be able to provide 30 percent more services than the current ground handling capacity.

Secretary to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, Mokammel Hossain, meanwhile told UNB, “The ground handling work at the third terminal of Dhaka airport should be smart, and it will be better if the authorities concerned choose an efficient company that can jointly work with Biman Bangladesh Airlines.”

“Biman has been overseeing ground handling and it is one of the most important sources of income for the airline. So, Biman can’t be fully excluded from ground handling. Those selected should work with Biman. The government will take a decision soon in this regard,” he added.

On July 15, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mafidur Rahman said at an event that Japan has shown interest in ground handling work at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The government has taken a policy decision to give them the work, he said. He also said, the terms of the work will be determined through a public-private partnership.

Regarding this, the Biman CEO told UNB that no government decision has been taken regarding the ground handling work of Dhaka airport’s third terminal.

“We (Biman Bangladesh Airlines) are a profitable entity when it comes to ground handling. We have provided noteworthy service during Hajj without any problem. Special flights, VVIP flights, and UN flights are also being operated. There hasn’t been any problem,” he said.

The Biman CEO also said the government will decide who will do the ground handling at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal, not the Civil Aviation Authority.