Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to sign an agreement on Wednesday (7 October) to purchase 10 aircrafts from Airbus as part of its fleet expansion plan.
Under the agreement, the government will purchase four A350-900 aircraft and six A321neo aircraft.
Officials concerned said the signing ceremony will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday evening.
Jürgen Westermeier, president and managing director of Airbus India and South Asia, and Kaiser Sohel Ahmed, managing director and chief executive officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, are expected to sign the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat and Foreign Affairs State Minister Humaiun Kabir are also expected to attend the ceremony.
The four A350-900 aircraft are planned to be deployed on long-haul international routes, while the six A321neo aircraft will operate on regional and medium-haul routes.
The fleet expansion is expected to strengthen Biman’s passenger-carrying capacity on both long-haul international and regional routes.
Earlier, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat had confirmed that Bangladesh would purchase 10 Airbus aircraft.
“We are buying 10 Airbus aircraft. InshaAllah, the agreement will be signed in October,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
The minister said deliveries could begin in 2033 and continue in phases until 2036 or 2037.
The total commercial value of the 10-aircraft deal has not yet been officially disclosed.
Regarding payment for the aircraft, the minister said Biman is a public limited company and would finance the purchases through its own revenue and appropriate financing arrangements.
As the aircraft will be delivered in phases, payments will also be made gradually, he said.
The purchase plan has been prepared taking into account Biman’s financial capacity, route revenues and projected future growth, the minister added, saying the deal would therefore not put direct pressure on the government budget.
