Biman suspends Dhaka-Narita flight operations

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has announced the suspension of its flights on the widely discussed Dhaka-Narita route.

The decision will come into effect from 1 July, reads a press release signed by Biman's General Manager (Public Relations), ABM Rashed Kabir, on Sunday.

According to Biman, the decision has been made considering the ongoing Hajj flights, aircraft shortage, and prevailing business realities.

The press release stated that passengers who have purchased tickets for flights on this route after 1 July will be able to claim a refund or full reimbursement without any additional charges, as per their preference.

Biman has requested affected passengers to contact its own sales offices, counters, or relevant agents to process the refunds.

Biman had first launched flights on the Dhaka-Tokyo route in 1979, but the service was suspended shortly thereafter. Two years later, in 1981, Biman began operations on the Dhaka-Narita route, which continued until 2006 before it was suspended again.

After nearly one and a half decades, the route was reinstated on 1 September 2023. Now, after just a year and a half, Biman is once again suspending the operations. As a result, there will be no direct air connectivity from Dhaka to Japan via Biman.