Biman’s stranded Rome flight lands safely in Dhaka

Biman Bangladesh Airlines' stranded Toronto-Rome-Dhaka flight arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) today, ending a nearly 40-hour disruption caused by a technical fault that grounded the aircraft at Rome's Fiumicino Airport.

“The flight landed safely at HSIA at 12:30 pm,” Biman Public Relations Officer Bosra Islam said.

The flight (BG-306) departed Rome at 11:00 pm (local time) on Saturday (BST 3:00 am) following completion of necessary repairs and technical and safety checks, Biman officials said.

The Toronto-Rome-Dhaka flight was operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The aircraft had remained grounded at Fiumicino Airport after developing a technical fault, disrupting the scheduled BG-306 service and stranding passengers in the Italian capital.

Biman on Saturday dispatched a team of engineers along with required spare parts to Rome aboard flight BG-305 to repair the aircraft.

Following the repairs, the aircraft underwent the required technical and safety inspections before being cleared to resume its journey to Dhaka.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat on Saturday night said around 100 affected passengers had been transferred to hotels in Rome, while the remaining passengers were accommodated at the airport lounge.

He said special care was provided to sick and elderly passengers, as well as women and children, while necessary medicines were also arranged for them.

Millat said officials of the Bangladesh Embassy in Rome maintained round-the-clock contact with the airport and closely monitored the situation, while continuous coordination was maintained from Dhaka.

During the prolonged disruption, Biman arranged hotel accommodation, meals and other necessary assistance for the affected passengers.

The national flag carrier reiterated that passenger safety remained its highest priority throughout the disruption.