How many aircraft is Biman buying from Boeing?

The US based Boeing is set to sell another 11 aircraft to Bangladesh.

Mahdi Amin, an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, announced the agreement between Boeing and state owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Mahdi Amin is part of the Bangladesh delegation accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his visit to the United Nations. At a press conference in New York on Wednesday, he said the “important agreement” between Boeing and Biman had been signed that day.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent Christensen had earlier announced that an agreement was expected to be signed. He said, “This is another great achievement for US Bangladesh relations, where both countries will benefit. I look forward to witnessing the signing ceremony in New York today.”

Biman has been leaning toward Boeing to expand the national flag carrier’s fleet. In April, it signed an agreement to purchase 14 aircraft from Boeing. With the two agreements combined, Biman is set to purchase a total of 25 aircraft.

The models of the aircraft under the new agreement, their cost and when they will be delivered are not yet known. However, information had previously indicated that the 14 aircraft under the earlier agreement would cost around Tk 450 billion.

Of the 14 aircraft under the earlier agreement, eight are 787 10 Dreamliners, two are 787 9 Dreamliners and four are 737 8 MAX jets. Under the agreement, the first aircraft will arrive in 2031 and the rest will be added to Biman’s fleet by 2035.

Why is Biman buying so many aircraft?

Biman currently operates international routes with 19 aircraft. However, Biman officials believe at least 30 to 35 aircraft are needed to meet demand.

There is a plan to increase the number of aircraft in Biman’s fleet to 47 by 2041. The new aircraft are being purchased to meet that target.

At the press conference, Mahdi Amin said the decision to purchase new aircraft was taken considering the need to expand Bangladesh’s aviation sector.

He said, “Bangladesh’s aviation sector is expanding and there are plans to open new routes. New aircraft are therefore needed.”

Why Boeing?

While there has been criticism over the large expenditure on aircraft purchases, there has also been discussion over why the aircraft are being purchased from US based Boeing.

During the previous Awami League government, a decision had been made to purchase 10 aircraft for Biman from European manufacturer Airbus.

However, after the Awami League government fell following the 2024 mass uprising and the interim government came to power, it had to adopt a strategy to reduce the trade gap with the United States to deal with Donald Trump’s tariff pressure. As part of that strategy, the interim government decided to purchase aircraft from Boeing.

After the BNP came to power in February, the process was taken forward. As part of that process, an agreement was signed to purchase 14 aircraft from Boeing. Now an agreement has been signed to purchase another 11.

What is Airbus offering?

As Bangladesh moves toward Boeing, Airbus is also seeking to sell its aircraft to the country. The company has announced that it will make an “incredible offer.”

On September 6, ambassadors and representatives of the 27 EU member states went to the Ministry of Commerce. They said they wanted “equal opportunity” for Airbus alongside Boeing.

EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller said, “From our perspective, Airbus has an incredibly competitive offer. Dhaka should take it very seriously.”

The EU wants to move forward with the 10 Airbus aircraft that the Bangladesh government had agreed in principle to purchase during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Dhaka in 2023.

Mahdi Amin said at the press conference that Airbus is also under consideration despite the agreement with Boeing. He said Bangladesh has a longstanding commercial relationship with Boeing. He added that Bangladesh could hold discussions with Airbus in the future as needed.