Biman asks Boeing to send engineers to check safety standard

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has sought Boeing's assistance, requesting the US plane manufacturer to send engineers for at least one month to assess safety standards of its Boeing-dominated fleet, following a series of technical glitches reported over the past month.

"We have asked Boeing to send at least two engineers to work with our engineering team for one month," Biman's Managing Director and CEO Dr Shafiqur Rahman told BSS today (30 August).

The Biman chief said he has already talked with the Boeing South Asia office in New Delhi and raised its concern over the serious of technical glitches.

"Our engineering team is working very sincerely … we do believe engineers from Boeing will give them a boost," Rahman added.

The national flag carrier has already undertaken a set of immediate and long-term measures aimed at reinforcing safety standards, accountability and operational reliability.

A four-member high-powered investigation committee has already been formed to review in detail the technical issues that occurred between 1 July and 13 August last.

The committee will examine maintenance records and operational processes on a flight-by-flight basis, identify root causes, and determine responsibility in case of any negligence or lapse.

"Passenger safety and service quality have been given the "highest priority," while comprehensive investigations and strict accountability are being ensured for each incident," Rahman said.

It has been asked to submit its findings within 10 working days with recommendations to prevent recurrence of such problems.

As part of immediate steps, the incident involving a malfunction of the toilet flush on the Dhaka-Abu Dhabi flight has come under investigation.

Meanwhile, changes in personnel management have been made to ensure accountability, two officials have been transferred, while disciplinary action has been taken against one engineering officer and a show-cause notice has been served on another in Chattogram.

To enhance technical capacity, Biman has arranged stocking additional aircraft wheels at key outstations, including Jeddah, Dubai, Medina, Dammam, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah so that replacements can be carried out swiftly during emergencies.

Procurement orders for additional wheels have already been placed.

The airline said an inquiry into the tire burst incident in Jeddah has been ordered under the supervision of the Director (Flight Operations), while direct supervision of maintenance has been reinforced by the Director (Engineering and Material Management) and Chief Engineers.

In addition, a special night maintenance shift has been introduced from 18 August to strengthen round-the-clock monitoring.

A comprehensive review of Biman's inventory management system is also underway, including discussions with Boeing on revising the Component Services Program (CSP) list and reassessing the Recommended Spare Parts List (RSPL).

Tailored Part Packages (TPP) is being reviewed to ensure procurement aligns with actual usage data.

Recurrent training for engineers has been initiated, while recruitment of new apprentice mechanics has started as part of long-term capacity building to strengthen in-house expertise and technical manpower, Biman officials said.