Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh on Thursday signed an agreement with Boeing to buy 14 aircraft in the biggest expansion move yet for national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
In a statement, Biman said it would purchase 10 wide-body 787 Dreamliners and four narrow-body 737 MAX aircraft.
The airline said the acquisition was part of the government’s “Bangladesh First” policy aimed at “economic growth, stronger global connectivity, and elevated customer experience”.
The procurement would help in “strengthening Bangladesh’s position in the global aviation market,” said Biman managing director and CEO Kaizer Sohel Ahmed.
State minister for civil aviation and tourism Rashiduzzaman Millat, US ambassador to Dhaka Brent T Christensen, and Boeing vice-president for sales and marketing Paul Righi were present at the signing ceremony.
The official statement did not mention the delivery schedule or cost. However, local broadcaster Somoy TV reported the deal would cost around $3.7 billion, with payments spread over 10 to 20 years. It said the first aircraft would join the fleet in October 2031 and the rest by November 2035.
The move reverses an earlier decision by the previous Awami League government under Sheikh Hasina to buy aircraft from Airbus, after the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus pushed to finalise the Boeing purchase.
Biman currently operates around 19 aircraft on international routes, below the estimated need of 30 to 35 to meet rising passenger demand and support planned expansion. The airline is considering expanding its fleet to 47 aircraft by fiscal 2034-35.