Biman flight from Kathmandu delayed nearly 7 hours over technical glitch

Dhaka: A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying 127 passengers from Kathmandu to Dhaka was delayed by nearly seven hours on August 16, after a technical fault was detected in the aircraft.

The flight, BG372, was scheduled to depart Kathmandu at 4:00 pm local time. Shortly after leaving the terminal and taxiing toward the runway, a technical problem was detected, and the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, returned to the terminal.

The flight was subsequently cancelled, and passengers were asked to disembark and wait at the airport.

According to one passenger, those onboard the flight were informed of the technical issue shortly after the aircraft began taxiing toward the runway, before it turned back.

Biman's Country Manager in Kathmandu, Babul Akter, said passengers were disembarked due to the technical fault. He said it was not immediately possible to determine how long repairs would take.

Business-class passengers were given access to the airport lounge, while other passengers were to be provided necessary facilities and assistance in accordance with regulations, Akter said.

To minimize further delay, Biman Bangladesh Airlines arranged a larger replacement aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, to bring the stranded passengers back to Bangladesh.

According to the airline's General Manager of Public Relations, the replacement aircraft departed Dhaka for Kathmandu at 10:00 pm.

The 127 passengers were flown back on the replacement aircraft, which landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12:10 am, bringing the journey to a close nearly seven hours after its originally scheduled departure.