Govt to sign deal with Airbus to buy 10 aircraft in Oct: Millat

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Tuesday that the government is planning to sign an agreement with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to purchase 10 aircraft as early as October.

He made the disclosure while answering questions from journalists at a press conference at the Secretariat, shortly after Bangladesh signed a deal with US-based Boeing to purchase 11 aircraft.

He said discussions were under way to purchase the 10 Airbus aircraft, but there was some uncertainty over whether they could be delivered within the scheduled timeframe.

The government was therefore considering various options for procuring aircraft, he added.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines currently has 19 aircraft in its fleet, two of which are close to being grounded. As a result, the national flag carrier is effectively operating around 17 aircraft.

“Several aircraft in the existing fleet will become old over the next few years. The initiative to purchase new aircraft has therefore been taken both to expand the fleet and as part of a long-term plan,” the minister said.

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Bangladesh recently signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 11 aircraft. Earlier, it had signed another agreement for 14 Boeing aircraft, bringing the total number of Boeing aircraft under contract to 25.

The minister said, “The aircraft would not arrive in Bangladesh all at once. Under the agreement, the first Boeing aircraft is scheduled to arrive in 2031, with the remaining aircraft to be delivered in phases through 2035–36.”

Until the new aircraft arrive, the government is also working to lease at least 10 aircraft to expand the fleet, he said.

“We are working to increase the number of aircraft in Biman’s fleet. If we can add 10 aircraft, they will be added to the 17 currently operational. This will allow us to utilise many more slots,” Millat said.

He said foreign airlines currently operate more flights on various international routes. Increasing the capacity of Bangladeshi airlines would enable more flights to destinations including the Middle East, he added.

Asked whether there was any pressure or condition behind the planned Airbus purchase, Millat said Bangladesh was taking the decision based on its own needs.

“We are not doing anything under pressure. We are doing it because of our needs and to increase the number of our flights,” he said.

He added that the decision on how many aircraft to buy from which country was entirely Bangladesh’s, and would be made considering the country’s needs and the interests of the aviation sector.