Bangladeshi expatriates and other travellers who have been pressing for improved services at two of the country’s major regional airports have had their wishes granted, thanks to a successful new collaboration between Biman Bangladesh Airlines and SITA, the air transport IT specialist.

SITA’s AirportConnect check-in platform is now fully functional at Chittagong Shah Amanat International and Sylhet Osmany International airports, bringing them on a par with Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where the SITA system has been running successfully since 2002 for both the national airline and foreign carriers, handling almost two million passengers annually.

Muhammad Zakiul Islam, CEO, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said: “SITA is assisting us to realise the government’s Digital Vision 2021 at two of our most significant locations, particularly for our expatriate population. Passengers now receive world-class treatment as they check-in and board our aircraft in a timely and efficient manner. The process has been automated to the highest degree possible.”

Damian Hickey, SITA regional vice-president for South Asia, said: “We have now upgraded and automated passenger services to international standards making it much more attractive to fly to these two important destinations. We have introduced both 2D bar-coded boarding passes and the capability to use RFID for baggage management.”

Bangladesh Biman Airlines was successfully relaunched last year and has ambitious plans for further expansion beyond its current network of 18 domestic and international destinations.