Biman links Gulf Air, Japan Airlines to expand network

Highlights:

• The two agreements will help Biman to further enhance its international network and  maximise its passenger capacity.
• Bangladeshi passengers will be able to travel to more destinations in Europe and US
• This is a kind of indirect fleet expansion
• Both airlines will share the profits 
• Biman to start direct flights on the Dhaka-Narita-Dhaka route on 1 September 

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to enter into codesharing and interline agreements with Gulf Air and Japan Airlines respectively.

The two arrangements will help Biman to further enhance its international network and  maximise its passenger capacity.

The CEO of Gulf Air is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in the second week of June to sign the codeshare agreement with the national flag carrier, according to Biman officials.  

Biman expects that their passengers will be able to travel to more destinations in Europe as the Bahrain-based airline has extended access to operate flights in the region.

However, passengers will bear the boarding card of Biman while travelling through Gulf Air. In the same way, passengers of Gulf Air will bear the boarding card of the airline during their travel through Biman.  

As a result of code sharing, Biman will get indirect passage to more destinations in Europe through Gulf Air, Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim told The Business Standard recently.

Both airlines will share the profits earned from operating flights on routes under the codeshare agreement, he said.

Stating that this is a unique moment for the aviation sector in Bangladesh, he said, this is the first time Biman is entering into a codeshare agreement. 

"This is also a kind of indirect fleet expansion," he added.

A codeshare agreement is an airline business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight where a seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a partner airline under a different flight number, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Airlines throughout the world enter into codeshare arrangements to strengthen or expand their market presence and competitive ability.

Besides, the interline agreement with Japan Airlines will allow Biman passengers to travel to the US through Narita International Airport in Tokyo, according to Biman sources. 

Biman will take passengers to Narita (Tokyo) and Japan Airlines will take them to US cities on the Atlantic coast such as Los Angeles, the Biman MD said. 

"This means we are getting an opportunity to take passengers to America indirectly via Narita," he said.

This arrangement also will help Biman's Narita route as the flight will carry passengers bound for both Japanese and US cities. 

Passengers from Kathmandu, Kolkata or Delhi will also find the route attractive, Shafiul Azim said. 

Biman is going to start direct flights on the Dhaka-Narita-Dhaka route on 1 September this year. 

The airline also has plans to operate flights on the Dhaka-Chennai-Dhaka route in November targeting the next winter season.

An interline is a relationship between airlines which allows one airline to sell services to a customer that are provided by another airline, according to IATA.

Airlines use interline to sell itineraries that they would otherwise not be able to serve alone. 

Need for new aircraft 

The Biman MD said that they are getting a huge response from various routes to start flights, but they have a fleet shortage. 

"If we have better aircraft, we will get more passengers. Because we have many expatriates in Sydney, there is also demand for routes to Australian cities via Singapore or Indonesia," he said.

He also pointed out that Biman would benefit if flight frequency to Toronto and London is increased. 

Biman's immediate need is passenger aircraft, Shafiul Azim noted. 

Noting that a partnership with Airbus is still in the primary stage, he said, "Technology transfer, including training, airport handling, aircraft purchase are all part of the partnership."

He said that there is a similar proposal from Boeing.