Biman signs deal with Airbus for 10 aircraft

Biman Bangladesh Airlines today signed an agreement with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the acquisition of 10 aircraft, taking the number of aircraft in the national carrier’s acquisition pipeline to 35.

The agreement covers four Airbus A350-900 twin-aisle aircraft and six A321neo single-aisle aircraft.

Biman Chairman Rumee A Hossain and Jürgen Westermeier, president and managing director of Airbus India and South Asia, signed the agreement at a city hotel in Dhaka this evening.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat requested Airbus to deliver at least one of the aircraft by 2026-27, as Bangladesh seeks to bring forward the delivery schedule.

Millat had said yesterday that Bangladesh wanted deliveries under the planned Airbus purchase to begin before 2030.

He also sought EU support for the removal of the European Union’s High Risk Cargo and Mail designation on cargo originating from Bangladesh at the earliest possible time.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Spain were among those present at the signing ceremony.

Biman is also moving ahead with plans to acquire 25 aircraft from Boeing -- 13 Boeing 787-10s, two 787-9s and 10 737-8s.

Biman currently operates a fleet of 19 aircraft.