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After a string of technical snags on international routes, a domestic flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines has now been forced to return to Dhaka shortly after take-off for Chattogram due to a mechanical issue.
The aircraft turned back when the temperature inside the cabin rose excessively, said ABM Mahbubur Rahman, Biman's general manager for public relations, bdnews24.com reports.
According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, the Dash-8 Q200 twin turboprop aircraft took off from Dhaka for Chattogram at 2:34pm on Monday. The flight returned to Shahjalal International Airport at 2:55pm after the issue was detected.
Later in the afternoon, Mahbubur told bdnews24.com that the issue had been “fixed” and that passengers had already boarded again. “It wasn’t a serious problem. The flight will leave Dhaka shortly,” he said.
The excessive rise in cabin temperature after take-off prompted the pilot to decide to return to Dhaka, the official added.
Meanwhile, a Boeing Dreamliner of Biman remains grounded at Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome after a flap malfunction was detected on Sunday evening local time, just before it was due to depart for Dhaka.
On Saturday morning, another one of Biman's Boeing aircraft experienced a technical issue after landing at Singapore’s Changi Airport from Dhaka. The aircraft departed for Dhaka after a two-hour delay.
Before that, on Thursday night, a Biman flight bound for Abu Dhabi returned to Dhaka about an hour after take-off when all three of its toilets stopped functioning, creating an uncomfortable situation inside.
The day before, a Bangkok-bound Boeing 737 returned to Dhaka an hour after departure, when the pilot detected excessive engine vibration in Myanmar’s airspace.
On Jul 30, a Biman Boeing 737 was stranded for around six hours at Sharjah Airport in the UAE due to a mechanical fault before being flown back to Dhaka.
Two days earlier, on Jul 28, a Dammam-bound Boeing 777-ER returned to Dhaka after a cabin pressure warning. Passengers were later flown to Dammam on another aircraft.
Prior to that, on Jul 24, a Boeing Dreamliner arriving from Dubai to Chattogram faced a mechanical problem shortly after take-off for Dhaka. The pilot discovered that the landing gear doors had not closed properly and returned to Chattogram. The fault was repaired and the aircraft departed for Dhaka two hours later.
Another Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the Dubai–Chattogram–Dhaka route was grounded at Dubai International Airport on Jul 16 due to a wheel defect. Replacement parts were sent on another Biman flight and the aircraft was repaired, returning to Bangladesh after a 30-hour delay.
The latest incidents come amid plans to purchase 25 new Boeing aircraft for Biman’s fleet.
Of the 21 aircraft currently in Biman's fleet, 16 are Boeings, including six 787 Dreamliners, four 777-300ERs, and six narrow-body 737s. The remaining five aircraft are Dash-8 turboprops used for short-haul domestic and regional routes.