Biman likely to sign Airbus deal on October 7

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is expected to sign an agreement with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on October 7 to purchase 10 new aircraft as part of its fleet expansion plan.

The deal will cover four Airbus A350-900 wide-body aircraft for long-haul international routes and six A321neo narrow-body jets for regional and medium-haul services.

The signing ceremony is scheduled to take place at a Dhaka hotel on Wednesday evening.

The agreement follows months of negotiations between Biman and Airbus, with the two sides reportedly reaching consensus on the outstanding issues.

The Airbus purchase would add to Biman’s recent major aircraft procurement programme. The national flag carrier has already agreed to buy 25 Boeing aircraft under two deals.

If the Airbus agreement is finalised, Biman’s planned new-aircraft pipeline will rise to 35 aircraft — 19 wide-body and 16 narrow-body jets. Deliveries of the Airbus aircraft are expected to begin in 2033 and continue through 2036 or 2037.

The initiative is aimed at modernising Biman’s fleet, expanding its international network and increasing passenger-carrying capacity on both long-haul and regional routes.