Dubai airport back to normal

Dubai: All 218 passengers from the Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight that malfunctioned during takeoff completed their Dhaka-bound journey yesterday and Dubai airport resumed normal operations, after an eight hour closure on Monday.

Biman's Dubai station manager Saeed Safeer Haider told Gulf News that a flight departed at 9.25am yesterday with all passengers from the original BG006 flight on board.

"All passengers have now arrived in Dhaka along with their baggage, however the plane involved in Monday's accident, and the crew, will remain in Dubai until the investigation has concluded."

However, the fall-out from Monday's accident, that left 27 of the passengers on board flight BG006 injured, continued yesterday with passengers facing delays on flights from Dubai's busy hub.

"Airport staff are doing their utmost to ensure that the best possible care is being provided to passengers affected by yesterday's disruptions... Passengers can still expect some delays," an Emirates spokesman said.

Passengers are meanwhile advised to continue to check the status of their flights.

Huraiz Bin Huraiz, Dubai Civil Aviation spokesperson, said investigations into the accident are ongoing. Responding to queries regarding a link between an earlier incident in which the tyre of a Cathay Pacific plane burst, he said: "We cannot jump to conclusions, and must wait for the results of the investigation."

However, he stressed tyre bursts were not uncommon.

In a statement, the General Civil Aviation Authority said: "A GCAA investigating team along with experts from Airbus, the French Aviation Accident office in addition to Bangladesh Civil Aviation will analyse the flight data recorder and the aircraft to determine the cause of the occurrence."

A final report will be sent to all concerned parties, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation once investigations are completed.

Assessment

Acting Bangladeshi consul general, Mohammad Mahmoud Ur Rahman, said an independent assessment into take-off malfunctions with Biman Airlines BG006 must be conducted before anyone is blamed.

Among the passengers onboard was the former Bangladeshi ambassador to the UK who was returning to Dhaka after completing his tenure in office.

"We need technical people in the investigating body. Then the insurance people would like to make their own conclusions on the incident," said Rahman.

- With additional inputs by Daniel Bardsley, Staff Reporter