After Boeing, the government is now set to purchase 10 aircraft from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. A deal between state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Airbus will be signed tomorrow, Wednesday.
According to a statement issued by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the signing ceremony, titled 'Spreading Our Wings Together,' will be held at a hotel in the capital. Neither Bangladesh nor Airbus has yet disclosed how much the 10 aircraft will cost.
Under the proposed agreement, Biman will purchase four A350-900s and six A321neos from Airbus. The wide-body A350-900s will primarily be used on long-haul international routes, while the narrow-body A321neos will be deployed on regional and medium-haul routes.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said Airbus could begin delivering the aircraft in 2033. The aircraft could be added to Biman’s fleet in phases through 2036 or 2037.
25 more aircraft to come from Boeing
Before signing the deal with Airbus, Biman signed two separate agreements this year to purchase a total of 25 aircraft from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
In the first deal, signed on 30 April, Biman agreed to purchase 14 aircraft for about USD 3.7 billion (approximately Tk 454 billion). The order includes eight 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9s and four 737-8s.
In the second deal, signed in New York on 23 September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Biman agreed to purchase another 11 aircraft. These include five 787-10s and six 737-8 MAX aircraft.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said deliveries of the Boeing aircraft could begin in 2031. It will take 11 to 12 years to receive all the aircraft.
The ministry said Biman will not have to make payments immediately after the agreements are signed. Payment will be made when each aircraft is delivered. However, Biman authorities have requested that at least one aircraft be delivered in 2027 or 2028.
Biman’s current fleet
Biman currently has 19 aircraft in its fleet, including 14 Boeing aircraft and five Dash 8s.
However, two aircraft in the fleet are close to becoming unserviceable. The remaining 17 are also expected to be phased out within the next few years. To meet immediate demand, Biman is therefore trying to lease 10 more aircraft. Despite several attempts, the state-owned airline has yet to lease any aircraft.
Once Airbus’ 10 aircraft and the 25 Boeing aircraft under contract are added, Biman will have 35 new aircraft in the coming years. Including its current 19 aircraft, the airline’s fleet will exceed 50 aircraft.
According to Biman, of the 35 new aircraft, 19 will be wide-body aircraft and 16 will be narrow-body aircraft.
Most of Biman’s current fleet is made up of aircraft manufactured by US-based Boeing. With the addition of Airbus aircraft, Biman Bangladesh Airlines will, for the first time, operate a fleet comprising aircraft from both US and European manufacturers.