Biman flight grounded in Dubai, 178 stranded

News Desk :

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight has been grounded at Dubai International Airport due to a mechanical fault, leaving 178 passengers stranded.

The incident occurred late on Tuesday night, according to Shakia Sultana, Biman’s regional manager in Dubai.

“To ensure passenger safety, the aircraft was grounded after a fault was detected during routine pre-departure checks,” she said, reports bdnews24.com.

Of the passengers, 175 were moved to hotels, while three were kept in the airport lounge due to visa complications. Meals have been arranged for all those affected, Sultana added.

Replacement parts are due to arrive from Dhaka on a Biman flight on Wednesday night. Once repairs are completed, the aircraft is expected to depart later the same night for Dhaka via Sylhet.

Airport authorities said the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating as flight BG-248, had been scheduled to depart Dubai at 12:05am on Tuesday for Dhaka via Sylhet. However, the take-off was aborted due to the fault.

Passengers expressed their frustration at the disruption.
“We completed boarding and got on the plane on Tuesday night. But just before take-off, a fault was detected. Now we’re staying at a hotel, and there is uncertainty about when we’ll be able to return home,” said Sylhet resident Abdul Ahad Jihadi.

Another passenger, Habib Ahmed from Abu Dhabi, said: “I chose Biman’s flight to reach Dhaka quickly. But because of the delay, all passengers, including women, children, and the elderly, are facing hardship.”

Biman said the flight would continue to its scheduled destination once the repairs are completed.
Several Biman flights have been plagued by technical issues in recent months, with Boeing aircraft being the most affected.

In response, the flag carrier announced a series of immediate and long-term measures to address the issue last month, including the formation of a four-strong high-powered probe committee to identify root causes.