De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has delivered the first of three new Dash 8-400 aircraft ordered by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
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Biman Bangladesh De Havilland Dash8-400 – Image, De Havilland of Canada
The aircraft were ordered under a purchase agreement that was signed between Biman and the Canadian Commercial Corporation in 2018 and will join two Dash 8-400 aircraft that were introduced to Biman’s fleet in 2015 and 2018.
Two further Dash8-400 aircraft are planned to join Biman – bringing them up to five examples of the type.
Biman also operates Boeing 737-800, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9 in its fleet.
In Quotes
Md Mokabbir Hossain, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Biman said:
“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
“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 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration to keep our passengers and crew safe,”
Rob Baseggio, Regional Vice President, Sales, De Havilland Canada.
“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,”
“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.”
The importance of regional aircraft in these times
We all know networks are constrained in these times, with larger aircraft idling and smaller aircraft picking up the slack on rebuilding connectivity, with airlines turning to these smaller aircraft to keep certain routes alive, as well as providing connectivity – indeed, airlines have turned to Embraer, ATR and de Havilland to help them.
Whilst regional routes will be the strength of these aircraft, the ability to operate them efficiently is important.
And for now, it’s a valid strategy until traffic picks up.
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