Biman passengers endure 18-hour flight without proper air conditioning

Passengers on board a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Toronto to Dhaka endured heat and discomfort yesterday after the aircraft's air conditioning system malfunctioned during the 18-hour journey.

Flight BG-306, carrying 253 passengers, departed Toronto Pearson Airport at around 7:45pm local time -- over two hours behind schedule -- after what passengers were told were maintenance-related issues.

"We were informed that there was a problem and it had been fixed," one passenger told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.

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However, soon after takeoff, conditions inside the cabin deteriorated. "At first it just felt warm. But after an hour, the heat was unbearable, like the air conditioning wasn't working at all," said the passenger.

Women, children, and elderly travelers were worst affected, with several reportedly falling ill.

One elderly woman told crew members she feared having a stroke or heart attack due to dehydration and heat. Many passengers resorted to fanning themselves with safety manuals. Several passengers pleaded with the captain to return to Toronto, but the requests were ignored.

The cabin crew informed passengers that a technical team will try to fix the problem during the stopover at Istanbul airport. But no such arrangements were made. Around 20 to 25 passengers asked to disembark and take another flight, but were told they would not be allowed to leave the airport or access hotels.

In a last-ditch attempt to ease discomfort, the crew shut down the in-flight entertainment system for the final four to five hours of the journey. "But even that was not enough," said the passenger.

Biman spokesperson ABM Raoshan Kabir later confirmed that one of the aircraft's two air-conditioning units had failed, causing "some discomfort." He said the issue could not be resolved in Toronto as the required part was unavailable.

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"As the Boeing operational manual permits operation with one functioning AC, the captain decided to continue the flight to Dhaka," said Raoshan, who also serves as Biman's general manager for public relations.

"We regret the suffering and discomfort of the passengers," he added.