Welcome To My Presentation

Shaibal, Abu Shadath 09-13275-1

Topic

The Overview on Sales & Marketing Activities in

Biman Bangladesh Airlines

A Brief about Biman Bangladesh Airlines

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. The national flag carrier of Bangladesh has started its journey from scratch virtually with no aircraft, no equipment. It came into operation immediately after the war of independence. Despite many odds on its journey towards a long and challenging way to progress, Biman has been able to establish its reputation as an airline of welcome smile and an ocean of hospitality.

History

Biman Bangladesh Airlines was established on 4 January 1972 as Bangladesh's national airline under the Bangladesh Biman Ordinance. The initiative to launch the flag carrier was taken by 2,500 former employees, including ten Boeing 707 commanders and seven other pilots of Pakistan International Airlines, who submitted a proposal to the government on 31 December 1971 following the independence of Bangladesh. The airline was initially called Air Bangladesh International but was soon changed to its current name.

Key people

Kevin John Steele is the managing director and CEO. Steele was appointed in March 2013, and was the first foreign national to hold the two positions in the airline's history. Steele, who is a British citizen and was chosen from a pool of 42 local and foreign candidates after a competitive selection process, has many years of experience working in management and administrative positions at British Airways and other airlines around the world. At a press briefing held a few days after joining the airline, Steele told he would focus on making Biman Bangladesh Airlines a reliable airline.

PRODUCT/SERVICE OFFERING

An airlines mainly sells service. It carries passenger or cargo or both from one point to another point. Biman Bangladesh offers 16 Domestic and 102 International flights through its 13 local and 28 world wide branch offices. From the last 2 decades Biman carried its passengers by using the following four types of aircrafts: • McDonnel Douglas Dc-10-30 • Airbus Industries A310-300 series • Boeing 777-300ER• Boeing 737-800Biman Bangladesh Airlines basically provides two categories of services: -Domestic Flights -International Flights

Domestic flights: Currently Biman has the following domestic flights: • Sylhet • Chittagong

International flights: Bangladesh Biman provides 51 departure and 51 arrival fights per week. It has the following International flights from Dhaka to:

Abu Dhabi

Delhi Jeddah London Riyadh Bangkok Calcutta Katmandu Rome Hongkong

Dubai Karachi Kualalumpur Brussels

Singapore New York Doha Paris Muscat Kuwait

Competitors

From the foreign carrier side Biman is facing tough competition in almost all sectors. Especially the mega carriers Saudia, Emirates, Gulf, Etihad, Qatar etc are moving very fast to occupy the market share of middle east bound passengers. Where as the Cathay Pacific, Dragon Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysian Airlines are the great hurdle for the market of ASEAN bound passengers. Even for the regional sectors the Jet Airways, Indian Airlines, Air India are also becoming big factors to push Biman out of race.

According to government policy some domestic carriers are also spreading their wing sinter nationally. As a result the local market is rolling in triangle motion. The promising private local carriers are:

United Airways, Regent Airways, Novo Air, Bismillah Airways

Objectives

The main objective of the internship report to overview sales & marketing activities and different type of marketing strategies in Biman Bangladesh Airlines. As well as some knowledge regarding of overall operation of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

And the secondary objectives are which I work in different marketing department:

To understand Biman’s marketing policy To know the functions of Market Research section To get the idea from where tariff apply in different station of Biman To know the reservation policy To know the way cargo generate profit to the Biman

Work-Related

When I was assigned in to the marketing department of Biman Bangladesh Airlines I had to work in market research section and the tariff, E-Ticketing & IBE, Reservation & GDS cell, Cargo village & cargo complex for three months. During the tenure of my internship I was assigned some job responsibilities for marketing. The following are the tasks of the respective departments for which I was responsible:

Market Research

Responsibilities for Market Research

•I learn how to collect the Flight performance report in a telex version from traffic. I Plot the collected data in an informative version into the manual sheet.

•Helping my coordinator for doing the 10 years forecast plan of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

•Preparing 2011-2012 total Biman frequency flight for the Civil Aviation Authority know what kind of resources which Biman had and how they are going to utilize.

•Prepare budget for the company.

Tariff, E-Ticketing:

In the tariff section I have learned:

•I learn how to implement tariff in the different destination with the Dropida software. The purpose of establishing pricing policy & fixing special fares, cargo sales, and related charges through out network. Update the revised price in system through GDS (Global Distribution System) weekly.

•Update pricing rules and regulation timely.

In the IBE section I have learned:

• I control the internet booking throughout the Biman network. The e- ticketing promotion activity.

•I know promotion through email of IBE.

Reservation:

In the central reservation section I have learned:

•I learn to make a PNR or Ticket.

•Booking the ticket.

•Confirmation of the ticket.

•Quarry of different Airlines ticket fare.

• Know their terms and condition of Reservation Cell.

GDS Cell:

In the GDS cell section I have learned:

•I learn to handle with GSA (General Sales Agent) GSA. A general sales agent (GSA) is a sales representative for an airline in a specific country or region. Typically, the GSA is responsible for selling all products of the airline in its region which includes flight tickets and cargo space .

•I attend a meeting in Biman’s Motijhil Sales office there all of the GSA of Bangladesh attend there. And from there I have the brief knowledge about Biman policy, what kind of problem Biman & GSA face and how they resolve it.

Cargo:

In cargo village I learned a different things:

•I learn which type of paper work needed to authorize the cargo to the aircraft. The type of cargo product have the best priory and which type is less priory goods, weight measurement, The criteria to dispatch the cargo, prepare a list of cargo product like (bulk, cargo ,palott).

•Learn how they manage the off loaded goods. And how they deal with it.

In the cargo complex I learned various things:

• How they offload the product.

• The way of valuable goods were stored in the STRONG Room. The type of document owner had to submit.

Observed in the Organization:

I face some issues and problems encountered and identified during the internship affiliation in Biman.

Continue

In the reservation section there is SITA’s reservation software name GABRIAL 2. This software lunch in 1986.This software is so backdated and so much complicated that i really can’t understand. Only 2 airlines used this software now.

In the cargo complex the work environment is not hygienic at all. & there is no canteen over there.

There is a rules that 3 hours from departure no airlines take the cargo product from the customer & it strictly maintained. But in Biman this rules is not maintained. I saw that there is a huge amount of bribe involvement.

Continue

I face a terrible Transportation problem in Biman.

In the cargo village I found a serious logistic shortage to handle the aircraft cargo.

There is some miscommunication between the co-worker which cause a greater problem to load and unload the cargo.

I find out some of the important section like reservation, cargo, E-Ticketing section need more man power but this section don’t have it but some less important section like market research got excess man power.

Continue

I don’t find Annual Report on this corporation.

I think Biman don’t have the marketing policy, strategy, expanding of fleet etc.

In 12 weeks of internship I face 2 strike from the Biman trade union.

At my internship time at Biman head office the central AC is dead for 1.3 weeks so it is very much impossible for me to work.

Continue

In Biman canteen the food quality is very bad.

Some of the Biman staff do the politics and gambling instead of their work. I think it hamper my intern work.

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

•How I solve this problem:

For lunch I have to go to Uttara.

95% of the Biman staff is very loyal and sincere about their work. I really have a nice time to work with them.

Despite of the 2 strike & the central AC problem the operation goes smoothly.

In the central reservation Biman’s new MD Kavin Steel aware that the central reservation software is backdated so he finally put a tender to develop a new reservation software.

Continue

Now Biman shuffle and reshuffle the employee to different department.

Travel by Biman staff bus, it take long time to arrive my destination but it is comfortable.

In the cargo village to improve the logistic support of ground handling, Biman want to focus partnership agreement with UK based company.

The MD of Biman is planning to utilize all of the resources which are now not been used.

Continue

Now Biman are making the marketing policy, strategy, expansion of fleet, in which I work in Market Research section 10 years forecast plan of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Biman has skilled man power but know to utilize them for greater success.

Biman launch new fingering system where the employee have to press it before duty and also after the work so that employee can come on schedule.

Recommendation

To help Biman move out from its old-fashioned way of management, to accommodate the future opportunities and to avert the current crisis and threats, it is extremely essential for Biman to undertake the following steps set forth as recommendations.

Experts on commercial airline and aviation industry must be included as members in the Board of Directors.

Biman should abide by the current business methodologies as used in world class airlines to make it successful and profitable.

Continue

The Annual Report should be made public. This report must include financial statements.

Biman should not be exploited in the name of national interest. It should not operate unprofitable flights.

Biman’s existing procurement rules should be appropriately amended so that Biman can take its own business decisions.

Biman should operate by Biman people without any interference from the Ministry.

Continue

Biman should consider closing down the loss-making routes and divert the flights entirely to the profit-making ones.

Biman must discontinue operation of short sector flights by wide -bodied aircrafts.

Biman must operate with similar types of aircraft to reduce operating cost .

Biman needs to purchase new generation aircraft to save operation cost significantly.

Leasing and purchase process of aircraft should be made transparent.

Continue

During procurement of spare parts, technical experts must be included in the process.

Punitive actions against corrupt staff of in and out station of Biman must be taken.

Modern cost effective inventory control system should be introduced.

Biman needs to keep its website continuously updated so that the clients can get the latest and complete information from the website.

Continue

Delay analysis should be undertaken as a routine process and necessary steps should be taken to maintain the schedule in a tolerable delay range.

• In-flight service must be improved.

Conclusion

Though Bangladesh is a poor country , its people are rich in mind, hospitality and serving goodwill to its guests and local people. Biman Bangladesh Airlines is the very first international airline that opened the door for the regional people to fly throughout the world for business, education, knowledge, immigration etc. Despite the truth that Biman is running through a very bad time now, but we hope, soon it will overcome the problem and truly fly in the sky as the white stork. Believing that “Wings of your Freedom‟.

Thank You

For

Being with me…

Question?