Biman Bangladesh awards inflight duty free contract to King Power Traveler
DHAKA, Jan. 14 (NsNewsWire) — Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the national carrier of Bangladesh, has signed a full concession service contract with Hong Kong-based King Power Traveler (KPT) for the provision of inflight duty free inflight retail.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director & CEO Kevin Steele said: “We are committed to be a profitable 21st century airline.
To contribute to this objective, the providing of a quality inflight duty free shopping experience to our customers is of paramount importance, not only for enhanced customer service delivery, but also in terms of generating much sought-after incremental ancillary revenues to the airline, reports The Moodie Report.
“We are pleased to have chosen KPT, who have a very professional and experienced team led by their President Rakhita Jayawardena, to be our partners in this venture and look forward to working with them for the launch of a world-class inflight retailing service.”
King Power Traveler President Rakhita Jayawardena said: “We are delighted that the national carrier of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, has chosen KPT. We are presently planning for the launch of an exciting and customer-focused duty free service onboard which will meet and exceed the shopping expectations of the wide and varied passenger profile carried by the airline.”
Biman’s route network covers regional Asian destinations such as Kathmandu, Delhi, Kolkata, Yangon, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore; Middle Eastern destinations including Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai and Muscat; and European destinations such as London and Rome.
The carrier has a fleet of narrow body and wide body aircraft, including Boeing 737s and 777s, A310s and DC10s. Commencing this year, Biman is expanding its route network to destinations in the USA , Canada and Asia and has eight new aircraft on order to cater to the expanding global route network.
The new orders and options also include Boeing 787s. Biman operates from the principle airport of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and from two other secondary airports, Shah Amanat Airport at Chittagong and Osmani International Airport at Sylhet.
COMMENT: In the highly competitive inflight retail market, King Power Traveler has carved out a strong Asian presence in recent years. Led by Rakhita Jayawardena, one of the great pioneers of travel retail, particularly inflight, and backed by the much-respected Antares Cheng’s King Power Group (HK) operation, King Power Traveler has ‘flown under the radar’ over recent years, while quietly acquiring a number of important accounts.
For a well-run niche business that prides itself on strong customer service and relationship values, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is a notable addition to the portfolio, thanks to its fast-growing route network and diverse, attractive passenger profile.