Biman flight stuck in Rome for 36 hours

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying more than 250 passengers has been stranded at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport for around 36 hours after developing a technical fault, leaving many travellers exhausted and some reportedly falling ill as essential medicines remained inside their checked baggage.

Flight BG306, operating from Toronto to Dhaka via Rome, developed the technical problem after landing at Fiumicino on Friday morning. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registration S2-AJY, remained grounded as Biman arranged for engineers and equipment to be sent from Dhaka to repair the aircraft.

According to Biman’s latest update, the engineers and equipment were being flown to Rome on Saturday’s BG305 service. The team was expected to reach Fiumicino at around 7:17pm Rome time.

Subject to successful repairs and mandatory safety checks, Biman said BG306 was expected to depart Rome at 11pm local time on Saturday and arrive in Dhaka at around 11:30am on Sunday.

The prolonged delay has caused particular difficulties for around 174 Bangladeshi passport holders, who were unable to leave the airport because Italian immigration authorities did not permit them to enter the country.

Biman public relations officer Boshra Islam told the Aviation and Tourism Times that passengers holding foreign passports were accommodated in hotels, while Bangladeshi passengers were kept in a holding area inside the airport.

She said there is no hotel inside Fiumicino Airport and that the airline arranged a holding lounge for the Bangladeshi passengers. Food and other assistance were being provided according to available facilities and applicable rules, she added.

Passengers, however, said the arrangements were inadequate for the large number of people stranded at the airport.

One passenger said that travellers were initially informed that their stopover in Rome would last only about one hour and 20 minutes. But after the scheduled stopover ended, another six to eight hours passed without clear information about when the flight would depart.

The passenger said the aircraft’s air-conditioning system was not functioning properly and that several elderly passengers and children became unwell during the prolonged wait.

After eventually leaving the aircraft, passengers remained inside the airport as arrangements were being made for their accommodation. Those unable to leave the airport were kept in waiting areas, the passenger said.

“Even after 12 hours had passed since we left the aircraft, there was no proper rest arrangement,” the passenger said.

A lounge was later made available from around 11pm to 5am, where food was provided. However, passengers said there was not enough space for everyone to sleep.

“We could sit on sofas, but we could not really sleep. Families with children and elderly passengers were suffering the most. Many people were sleeping on the airport floor,” the passenger said.

A passenger sleep at a corner of the airport in Rome. Photo: Collected

The prolonged wait has also created difficulties for passengers requiring regular medication.

Some travellers said essential medicines, including insulin for diabetic passengers, were inside checked baggage that remained inaccessible while the aircraft was grounded.

“Many diabetic patients needed food and insulin on time, but they could not access them,” another passenger said, adding that children had also become distressed and unwell.

Mohammad Abu Sayeed, a senior lecturer at Independent University, Bangladesh and one of the passengers, said many travellers became sick after spending around eight hours inside the aircraft following their arrival in Rome.

He said elderly passengers and children were among those affected by the prolonged wait.

The passenger also said elderly travellers, particularly those travelling alone, were struggling to communicate with their families. Some relatives reportedly contacted passengers after seeing their social media posts and live videos.

Passengers questioned whether adequate contingency arrangements should have been in place for Bangladeshi travellers when the aircraft was scheduled to stop in Rome.

“We understand that technical problems can happen to any aircraft. But when passengers are stranded in a foreign airport for such a long time, there should be a clear system to provide them with proper accommodation, food and assistance,” one passenger said.

Biman has apologised for the inconvenience and said passenger safety remains its top priority. The airline said the restrictions faced by Bangladeshi passengers were linked to Italian immigration rules.

Passengers holding foreign passports were accommodated in hotels, while Bangladeshi passengers were kept in a holding area inside the airport. Photo: Collected

The grounding has also disrupted the subsequent BG305 service from Dhaka to Rome and Toronto because the same aircraft was scheduled to operate that flight.

Biman initially rescheduled BG305 to depart Dhaka at 1pm on Saturday, asking passengers to report to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by 9am.

The airline later said engineers and the necessary equipment were being sent to Rome on BG305 to repair the grounded aircraft.

If the repairs are completed successfully and the aircraft passes all required safety checks, BG306 is expected to depart Rome at 11pm on Saturday and arrive in Dhaka at around 11:30am on Sunday.

The prolonged disruption has left more than 250 passengers facing an ordeal far beyond the normal journey time, with children, elderly travellers, families and passengers requiring regular medication among those affected.

Biman has advised passengers to contact its hotline on 13636 for assistance and said further updates would be provided as the situation develops.