BSS: The Biman Bangladesh Airlines has decided to lease foreign aircraft for smooth transportation of an estimated 20,000 Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia during the 2007-08 Hajj season.

It has invited tender asking parties to submit their offers for leasing at least 350-seat capacity aircraft which were manufactured in 1980 or later to carry the Hajj pilgrims from Dhaka to Jeddah between November 15 and December 12.

Rest of the pilgrims will be carried by Biman’s own aircraft.
The leased aircraft will start the return flights from December 26, 2007 and complete the operation by January 26.

According to the Biman authorities, the aircraft manufacturers, airlines, owners, operators and leasing companies having aircraft of their own have been asked to participate in the tender.

Biman, the national flag carrier, further said it would not deal with any agent or broker during the process of evaluation and finalisation of contract. The bidders have also been advised to contact Biman’s overseas offices in New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, Dubai, Jeddah, Delhi, Karachi, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong for further details.

During the last Hajj season, Biman and other aircraft leased by the Biman carried over 50,000 Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah and brought them back to Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the government has decided at an inter-ministerial meeting recently to formulate a permanent ‘Hajj Policy’ within this month as ‘it is a demand of the time’.

The meeting was told that a ministerial-level Hajj agreement would be signed between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia on May 30. An agreement on transportation of the pilgrims would also be signed between Bangladesh Biman and Saudi Airlines soon.

A three-member committee was formed in the meeting to complete all related activities, including fixing the plane fare, for the pilgrims by the next week.

 

© The Bangladesh Journal

 

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