Biman Bangladesh Airlines has signed an agreement to purchase 10 aircraft from European manufacturer Airbus, marking a transition towards operating a dual-builder fleet alongside its Boeing jets.
The contract was signed on Wednesday at 9:25pm at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel in the capital, according to a press release.
Under the deal, the national flag carrier will acquire four Airbus A350-900 wide-body aircraft and six A321neo narrow-body planes. Biman plans to deploy the A350-900 aircraft on long-haul international routes, while the lower-capacity A321neo planes will be utilised on regional and medium-haul routes where large aircraft are unnecessary.
The agreement was signed by Jürgen Westermeier, president and managing director of Airbus India and South Asia, and Kaiser Sohail Ahmed, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, on behalf of their respective organisations.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, Executive Chairman of Invest Bangladesh Ashik Chowdhury, and Airbus’s Jürgen Westermeier.
Deliveries of the Airbus aircraft are expected to commence in 2033 and will join Biman’s fleet in phases through 2036 or 2037, although the total commercial value of the 10 planes has not been officially disclosed.
The procurement follows two previous deals signed by Biman earlier this year to purchase a total of 25 aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing.
On 30 April, Biman signed the first agreement worth approximately $3.7 billion (nearly Tk45,408 crore) for 14 aircraft, comprising eight 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9 Dreamliners, and four 737-8 aircraft.
A second deal was executed on 23 September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York for 11 additional Boeing planes, including five 787-10s and six 737-8 Max aircraft.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, deliveries of the Boeing aircraft may begin in 2031, taking 11 to 12 years for full completion.
Full payment for each aircraft will be made upon delivery rather than upfront, though Biman authorities have requested at least one plane to be delivered in 2027 or 2028.
Combined, the 10 Airbus and 25 Boeing orders will add 35 new aircraft to the fleet, comprising 19 wide-body and 16 narrow-body models.
Biman’s current fleet stands at 19 aircraft – 14 Boeings and five Dash-8s – with two planes nearly inoperative and the remaining 17 scheduled for phase-out over the coming years.
To address capacity deficits before retiring older planes, the state-owned carrier has made multiple attempts to lease 10 aircraft, though no lease agreements have been finalised yet.
With the current 19 aircraft, 25 contracted Boeings, and 10 Airbuses, Biman’s fleet could exceed 50 aircraft in the future as short-term capacity gaps continue to be addressed through lease considerations.
