The three Airbus A-310 of Bangladesh Biman are frequently running Into trouble due to sloppy maintenance leading to huge spending and constant bickering between pilots and engineers, sources said.

"It Is costing money in terms of maintenance at foreign airports where engineers and technicians of oilier airlines have to be called In and causing sufferings to passengers.” one source said.

Citing three incidents, two taking place In the last week and one in the last month, they said there were clear signs of sloppy maintenance on which the aircraft were released by the authorities.

The incidents Involved two of the newly-purchased Airbus aircraft, which Joined Biman fleet in the middle of 1996. The other aircraft, manufactured in 1987. was Inducted Into the fleet from Singapore Airlines recently on dry lease.

The first Incident took place on way from London to Sylhet when die aircraft suddenly suffered decompression in cabin pressure when Oxygen masks automatically fell down, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Frankfurt.

It was taken back to London where the aircraft had to be fixed with spares brought from Atlanta. USA. and a huge amount of money had to be splashed out.

Tiie passengers had to be cared for in hotel and dispatched back home in groups on other flights, causing sufferings not only to them but also to others who could not catch the flight.

"Die bleed system of the aircraft was found to be faulty that led to the loss of air pressure In the cabin. It was put on H1L (Hold Item List) In Dhaka before the aircraft was cleared for onwards flight to London on October by the engineers." one source alleged.

HIL means that certain part Is In need of repair but could be put on hold.

Another flight from London made an emergency landing at the Hungarian capital of Budapest earlier this month when its fuel pump system malfunctioned.

"When an engineer was summoned from Sabena. the Belgian Airlines. he was surprised to see that It was due to sheer negligence In cleaning a simple item that kept the fuel pump from being delrosled." he added.

It stayed in Budapest for a day where the passengers had to make a halt and some had to stay on board the aircraft.

Another Airbus was stranded in Calcutta for two days after its hydraulic system malfunctioned.

On November 6. an Airbus flight had to make a heavy landing with a fuel load of 133 tonnes and the passengers at Zia International Airport (ZIA) after returning from the sky of Jamshedpur. India on way to Dubai.

This time it was a faulty microswitch on Kruger system, which helps the aircraft to slow down with flaps on the wings. The fault was not taken care of al ZIA. the sources added.

"At least 300 fitness checks are required on an Airbus A310 which is a mld-tcch aircraft. But often we arc forced to fly on HIL. We have complained to the authorities during debriefing, but to no avail" said another source.

Engineers, however, denied the charges and said that sometimes an aircraft had to be put on flight to maintain schedules. But aircraft without checks are not released.

A Biman source said that they would look into the allegations and lake necessary action accordingly.