Biman Bangladesh Airlines will start operating Dhaka-Rome flights from March next year, Biman MD and CEO Shafiul Azim said today.

He was speaking at a dialogue organised by the Aviation and Tourism Journalist Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) at the Biman Training Centre in Dhaka.

Mohammad Salahuddin, director (marketing) of Biman, said, "We discontinued the Dhaka-Rome flight after 2009. Now it will be resumed, for which GSA has been appointed, and ground-handling has been finalised.

"We can either operate direct flights to Rome, Italy or via another country. We are studying [about] it. It will take 9-10 hours for a direct flight to reach Rome," he said.

For possible transit points, he mentioned Kuwait or Dubai. However, nothing is finalised, he said.

ATJFB President Tanzim Anwar, moderated the dialogue and General Secretary Ziaul Haque Sabuj delivered the welcome speech.

Senior officials of Biman and ATJFB members were present in the dialogue.