Biman Bangladesh Airlines will fly three times a week from the UK’s northern hub to the Bangladeshi capital and Sylhet, one of the two world’s biggest cities.
Biman will use a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route, which will start on January 4, 2020, and will operate via the eastern Bangladeshi city of Sylhet on its return from Manchester.
There are more than 55,000 people a year who currently travel from Manchester Airport’s catchment to Dhaka and Syhlet, with around 600,000 people travelling to destinations in Biman’s onward network.
Manchester airport CEO Andrew Cowan said: “This long haul route is the latest we have added to Manchester in recent years, as we continue to work hard to connect the north to key international destinations.” The announcement marks a return to Manchester for Biman, which operated a Dhaka-Manchester-New York service until 2012. It is the first deal to be revealed as part of a visit to Bangladesh and India by a delegation spearheaded by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
The flight will operate on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday taking 10 hours. The 787 Dreamliner will have 24 seats in business class and 247 in economy. The Greater Manchester delegation started in Sylhet on Thursday, then moved to Dhaka will move on to Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.
