Biman fare starts at Tk 25,200
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to resume direct flights from Dhaka to Delhi from May 13 with ticket prices starting at $300 (Tk 25,200), excluding tax.
There has been no direct flight on the route since Jet Airways suspended its operations fwwor an indefinite period from March 31.
Biman’s fare is much lower than that of Jet Airways, which starts at Tk 58,000.
Moreover, the national flag carrier has announced 15 percent off on the fare till May 30 marking the resumption of direct flights. “Biman is offering the most competitive price, which will attract passengers,” said Shakil Meraj, general manager of Biman.
Biman will operate flights thrice a week on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays, said the carrier in a press release yesterday.
The flights will depart Dhaka at 3:00pm and reach Delhi within two and a half hours.
Currently, people travelling to Delhi have to spend more than 12 hours to reach Delhi via Kolkata and the travel cost is more than Tk 20,000.
For instance, if a passenger flies with Air India for Delhi from Dhaka, the fare for the return ticket will be around Tk 20,000 and the transit time in Kolkata will be 12 hours.
The fare for travelling by another Indian carrier Indigo is almost the same and the waiting time in Kolkata will be eight to nine hours.
Meraj says the flight operation on the Dhaka-Delhi route will be commercially viable for Biman as there was huge demand for the direct flight for the time it saves.
A 162-seater Boeing 737-800 plane, which comprises 12 business class seats and the remaining economy ones, will be used for the route, according to Biman.
The departure of Jet Air from the route has created new opportunities for Biman, which is resuming the direct flight after five years.
In 2018, one lakh people travelled to India by Jet Air, accounting for 50 percent of the passengers travelling to the neighbouring country through airways, according to Jet officials.
