Biman to sign agreement with Airbus for 10 aircraft

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to sign an agreement on Wednesday evening to purchase 10 aircraft from Airbus as part of its fleet expansion plan, officials said.

Airbus India and South Asia President and Managing Director Jürgen Westermeier and Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Kaizer Sohail Ahmed will sign an agreement for 10 Airbus aircraft in capital’s Radisson hotel on October 7.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir are scheduled to witness the signing ceremony, marking high-level government representation at what is set to be a major milestone in Biman’s fleet expansion programme.

The agreement covers four Airbus A350-900 wide-body aircraft and six A321neo narrow-body jets.The development provides further clarity on the formal structure of the ceremony as Bangladesh moves closer to introducing Airbus aircraft into Biman’s future fleet alongside a major Boeing acquisition programme.

Westermeier, who heads Airbus operations in South Asia, will represent the European aircraft manufacturer, while Ahmed will sign on behalf of the national flag carrier.

Aviation minister earlier confirmed that Bangladesh would acquire 10 Airbus aircraft and said the agreement would be signed in October.

'Yes, we are buying 10 Airbus aircraft. Inshallah, the agreement will be signed in October,' he recently told journalists at the Secretariat.

The minister has mentioned deliveries of the Airbus aircraft could begin in 2033 and continue through 2036 or 2037.

The final commercial value of the Airbus package has not yet been officially disclosed.

The A350-900 would give Biman an additional long-range wide-body platform capable of serving intercontinental routes, while the A321neo could be deployed on high-demand regional services where wide-body capacity may not be required.

If the Airbus purchase proceeds as planned, Biman would have a total of 35 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft in its long-term acquisition pipeline.