Agreement to buy 14 Boeing aircraft Thursday
The agreement will be signed at around 7:30pm at a hotel in the capital, with senior government officials, diplomats and aviation sector stakeholders expected to attend
ATT Correspondent 
Bangladesh is set to sign a major aircraft procurement deal with US planemaker Boeing on Thursday, marking the largest fleet expansion initiative in the modern history of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
The agreement will be signed at around 7:30pm at a hotel in the capital, with senior government officials, diplomats and aviation sector stakeholders expected to attend, sources at the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry said.
Biman’s Managing Director and CEO Kaiser Sohel Ahmed will sign the deal on behalf of the airline, while a representative from Boeing will sign on behalf of the manufacturer.
Among those expected to be present at the ceremony are Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita, State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, and US Ambassador to Dhaka Brent Christensen.
Under the agreement, Biman will acquire a total of 14 new aircraft, including eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9 Dreamliners and four 737-8 MAX aircraft. The total list price of the order is estimated at around $3.7 billion (approximately Tk 37,000 crore).
Officials said the new aircraft will significantly modernise Biman’s fleet, enhance its long-haul operational capacity and expand services across regional routes. The Dreamliners are expected to strengthen connectivity with destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, while the 737 MAX aircraft will primarily serve short- and medium-haul routes.
The deal comes ahead of the launch of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and is being viewed as a strategic step for the country’s aviation sector.
Industry insiders say the fleet expansion aligns with rising passenger demand and Bangladesh’s ambition to position itself as a regional transit hub.
The agreement also brings to an end more than three years of competition between Boeing and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Despite strong lobbying from the European side, including high-level diplomatic engagement such as the 2023 visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, Boeing ultimately secured the order.
European stakeholders had pushed for the inclusion of Airbus aircraft to diversify Biman’s fleet, but the final decision favoured Boeing, consolidating its position as the airline’s primary supplier.
