x_man
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A week back I operated a roundtrip flight to Dhaka. Aircraft was Boeing 747-300 classic registration AP-BFY.
Our passengers (around 450) were mostly Bangladeshi citizens who were on transit from Middle East. Our departure from Karachi was on time and heading east we soon entered Indian airspace. We started communicating with Ahmadabad control, then Nagpur, later Varanasi and in the end with Calcutta control. All controllers were really professional and entertained our requests (regarding flight level changes /direct route) that we made on our way.
From 37000 feet, we started our descent short of Kolkata and were handed to Dhaka control that further coordinated our descent. From here onwards until touchdown we remained very busy and didnt get much time to look around. Landed thru runway 14 and with corner of eye, I could see the main city on the left.
After touchdown (around 4 p.m local time), we cleared the runway and I could see BAFs F-7s and a Mig-29 flying in circuit and making touch and gos. We were allocated bay 3, parked, shutdown checklist done and now had one and a half hour before the boarding starts again for Karachi. So I picked my camera and roamed around in the terminal area.
It was an impressive one hour stay at Dhaka airport. Lounges were very clean with all modern facilities and there was also quite a good selection of shops/cafes in the departures area. Duty free was a bit rip off but so is everywhere however staffs were very courteous and friendly. Spoke with few locals and talked a little about life in Pakistan/Bangladesh (no politics!!!) and of course cricket.
Our return flight was going to be announced soon, so it was time to go back to flight deck. Return was almost the reciprocal route to west, flying over India with a lovely sunset in front of us, we landed back at Karachi with very pleasant memories of Dhaka. It was a short but lovely trip and hope to fly there again soon.
Few snaps from my collection that I took at Dhaka.
Our passengers (around 450) were mostly Bangladeshi citizens who were on transit from Middle East. Our departure from Karachi was on time and heading east we soon entered Indian airspace. We started communicating with Ahmadabad control, then Nagpur, later Varanasi and in the end with Calcutta control. All controllers were really professional and entertained our requests (regarding flight level changes /direct route) that we made on our way.
From 37000 feet, we started our descent short of Kolkata and were handed to Dhaka control that further coordinated our descent. From here onwards until touchdown we remained very busy and didnt get much time to look around. Landed thru runway 14 and with corner of eye, I could see the main city on the left.
After touchdown (around 4 p.m local time), we cleared the runway and I could see BAFs F-7s and a Mig-29 flying in circuit and making touch and gos. We were allocated bay 3, parked, shutdown checklist done and now had one and a half hour before the boarding starts again for Karachi. So I picked my camera and roamed around in the terminal area.
It was an impressive one hour stay at Dhaka airport. Lounges were very clean with all modern facilities and there was also quite a good selection of shops/cafes in the departures area. Duty free was a bit rip off but so is everywhere however staffs were very courteous and friendly. Spoke with few locals and talked a little about life in Pakistan/Bangladesh (no politics!!!) and of course cricket.
Our return flight was going to be announced soon, so it was time to go back to flight deck. Return was almost the reciprocal route to west, flying over India with a lovely sunset in front of us, we landed back at Karachi with very pleasant memories of Dhaka. It was a short but lovely trip and hope to fly there again soon.
Few snaps from my collection that I took at Dhaka.
