Biman Bangladesh pulls out of Manchester flights over operational constraints
January 25, 2026
Biman Bangladesh Airlines has abruptly decided to suspend flights to Manchester from March 2026 as part of its network rejig.
At the start of this month, the company released a statement confirming that it would be ending the route over operational constraints. Over the last few days, it has provided additional clarity in response to criticism from customers over social media.
The changes were reflected in this week’s schedule update, as published on Saturday. Biman’s two weekly Manchester-Sylhet flights were removed for summer 2026. It currently uses the 787-8 on the route.
Biman is suspending flights to Manchester and boosting London operations
This included the upcoming Hajj flights and the additional capacity that requires, an overall aircraft shortage and upcoming maintenance on some of its widebody planes that would reduce available aircraft. It added that the suspension would help ensure “optimal utilisation and operational efficiency.”
It also described the route as not being commercially viable anymore, pointing to the large amount of time aircraft need to be deployed on the sector for. Planes remain occupied for several days, it said. Its widebody fleet is listed below.
| Aircraft | Total in fleet | Average age |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777-300ER | 4 | 13.1 years |
| Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | 4 | 6.9 years |
| Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | 2 | 6.4 years |
It initially planned to end services to Manchester from 1 February 2026, but later extended the date to 1 March.
It said it has increased frequencies to London Heathrow to mitigate some of the impact, though this is only true for the winter season. It added a once-weekly link from Dhaka to complement its existing Sylhet connections. From the end of March, it will have the same frequency as last year though, with five weekly flights from Sylhet.
It has offered passengers flying from Manchester the option to change their flights to its operations from London free of charge, as well as refunds. It apologised for any inconvenience, and clarified that the suspension was temporary.
Curiously, though, it pointed to its ongoing aircraft procurement negotiations. It said that upon completion, it would reconsider the suspension of flights to Manchester. It is worth noting that the process will take some time, and should it acquire aircraft directly from manufacturers, it will be several years before they are delivered.
Biman Bangladesh’s fleet renewal program
Earlier this month it emerged that Biman Bangladesh was selecting Boeing for its fleet renewal program, ending years of back-and-forth in negotiations with Airbus as well.
In Paris in 2023, the former Bangladeshi government agreed a deal for several Airbus A350 aircraft. This has since been overturned after the Biman Bangladesh management ruled the purchase would be financially disadvantageous.
The carrier will now move ahead with plans to acquire 14 aircraft, including four Boeing 737 MAX planes, eight Boeing 787-10s and two 787-9s. As shown above, the carrier only flies the -8 and -9 variants at present, meaning the -10 would offer a considerable capacity boost in comparison.
They appear to serve more as a replacement for its larger Boeing 777 fleet than for the older 787s.
Featured image: Biman Bangladesh Airlines
