Biman Bangladesh Airlines has invited international bids to dry lease three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft for six years as part of its fleet expansion and modernisation plan.
The national flag carrier aims to induct the wide-body aircraft from 1 January 2027. Biman issued a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) on 10 August after receiving a poor response to its previous tender, according to airline sources.
The deadline for submitting proposals under the new RFP is 1am BST (0400 GMT) on 25 August, according to Biman’s Corporate Planning Department.
Biman floated the previous tender on 15 July, with a submission deadline of 9 August.
Under the latest RFP, Biman is seeking three Boeing 787-9 aircraft on a 72-month dry lease. Immediate induction is preferred, with delivery required by 1 January 2027. Aircraft available for delivery by 28 February 2027 will also be considered during technical evaluation.
A dry lease means the aircraft owner provides only the aircraft, while the airline takes responsibility for operations, including pilots, cabin crew, maintenance and insurance.
Biman said the aircraft must not be more than 15 years old as of 30 June 2027 and should be powered by GEnx-1B74/75 engines with a maximum take-off weight of 254,000kg. Preference will be given to aircraft from the same lessor.
Each aircraft must have a two-class configuration with more than 300 seats, including 180-degree full-flat Business Class seats and at least 31-inch seat pitch in Economy Class. All seats must be new, according to the RFP.
The aircraft must be delivered in fully operational condition with valid Certificates of Airworthiness and Registration and after completion of a fresh C-check.
Biman also specified that major scheduled maintenance, including heavy maintenance checks and landing gear overhauls, should not be due within the first 24 months of the lease period.
The aircraft must be painted in Biman’s official livery at the lessor’s cost and based at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The RFP requires the aircraft to have advanced avionics and safety systems, including Engine Health Monitoring, Aircraft Health Monitoring, Flight Data Monitoring, upgraded flight recorders, TCAS Version 7.1, ACARS, Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems, satellite communications and GPS/GNSS navigation.
The aircraft must comply with regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.
Biman expects each aircraft to operate around 4,000 flight hours annually.
Financial proposals must separately include monthly lease rentals, maintenance reserves for major components and security deposits.
The evaluation process will assign 25 per cent weight to technical criteria and 75 per cent to financial viability, based on the Net Present Value of cash flows over the 72-month lease period.
Technically qualified bidders will enter negotiations with Biman in Dhaka.
The airline has reserved the right to accept or reject any or all proposals without providing reasons.
Biman currently operates 19 aircraft, including four Boeing 777-300ERs, four Boeing 787-8s, two Boeing 787-9s, four Boeing 737s and five Dash 8-400s.
The airline began fleet modernisation after signing agreements with Boeing in April and May 2008 to purchase four 777-300ERs, four 787-8s and two 737-800s.
The four 777-300ER aircraft joined the fleet between October 2011 and March 2014, while the 737-800s were inducted in 2015 and 2019. Four Boeing 787-8 aircraft were added between 2018 and 2019.
Biman also acquired three Dash 8 aircraft through a government-to-government agreement between Bangladesh and Canada. The aircraft joined the fleet in December 2020, February 2021 and March 2021.
