After extensive discussions on whether to purchase aircraft from Europe or the United States, the board of Biman Bangladesh Airlines has opted to buy 14 Boeing planes.
The decision was taken in principle at a meeting of the airline’s board on Tuesday, according to Biman’s General Manager for Public Relations Boshra Islam.
The formal proposal from Boeing was submitted on 24 November, covering terms, sales, and delivery schedules. The order includes 8 wide-body Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, 2 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and 4 narrow-body Boeing 737-8 models.
A committee will now negotiate the prices and technical details with Boeing.
This decision follows a prolonged debate between Boeing and Airbus. Under the previous Awami League government, a policy was established to purchase 10 Airbus aircraft, with French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment during his visit in September 2023.
However, after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024 and increasing US tariff pressures under former President Donald Trump, the interim government announced in July 2025 its plans to purchase 25 Boeing aircraft to avoid a 35 percent import duty.
In response, Airbus has ramped up its diplomatic and commercial efforts, even as Biman faces financial and operational pressure to expand its fleet in the rapidly growing aviation market, where Bangladeshi airlines currently command only 25 percent of the market share.
This has led to uncertainties over the Airbus deal. Airbus executives, including Airbus Executive Vice President Wouter van Wersch, met with interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his June 2025 UK visit, continuing discussions with Bangladeshi officials.
In early November, ambassadors from the UK, France, Germany, and the EU urged fair consideration for Airbus, highlighting billions in Bangladeshi exports to Europe, the country’s Least Developed Country (LDC) status, duty-free access to the UK, and long-term trade relationships.
On 26 Nov, Germany’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Rüdiger Lotz warned that withdrawing from the Airbus commitment could strain EU trade relations and affect duty-free access to European markets.
