2 more Biman hajj flights scrapped

Biman Bangladesh Airlines today cancelled two hajj flights losing capacity to carry over 800 pilgrims.

“Due to shortage of hajjis, Biman cancelled a flight which was rescheduled to fly at 10:15am tomorrow,” said Shakil Meraj, general manager, public relation, of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

READ MORE: Airlines move to ease hajj flight mess

Another flight which was scheduled to fly at 2:35am on August 5 has been cancelled, he said.

In the last 12 days, Biman Bangladesh and Saudi Arabian Airlines sent nearly one-third of the total 1.27 lakh pilgrims. With the latest, the national flag carrier cancelled 14 flights with 6,000 capacity.

Saiful Islam, director at the Ashkona Hajj Camp told The Daily Star this evening, as of 9:00am, Biman and Saudi Airlines ferried 35,294 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

Biman will have to carry 63,599 pilgrims within the deadline of August 26 while Saudi Airlines will get one more day to send the same number of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

2 flights depart on schedule, 1 rescheduled today

Two dedicated Hajj flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines departed Dhaka for Saudi Arabia today while another flight was rescheduled due to shortage of the pilgrims.

The flights – BG 1039 and BG 5039 -- departed from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 3:25am and 10:55am respectively, Shakil Meraz, told The Daily Star this morning.

“No Hajj flight was cancelled today. Only one flight has been rescheduled,” he said.