Biman’s Boeing order set to swell to 25 jets as US hails ‘win-win’ deal

The United States has welcomed Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ plan to buy 11 more Boeing aircraft, a deal that would lift the flag carrier’s planned Boeing acquisitions to 25 and sharply expand a fleet that currently numbers just 19 planes.

“Congratulations to Boeing and Biman on the agreement to purchase 11 more of the world’s best commercial planes,” US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent Christensen said on Wednesday.

“Another win-win for the US-Bangladesh relationship!” he added in remarks posted by the US Embassy in Dhaka. Christensen said he looked forward to watching the signing ceremony in New York. 

The agreement is scheduled to be signed on Wednesday afternoon in New York on the sidelines of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit for the 81st UN General Assembly. Reports put the signing at around 4:15pm local time. 

The 11 aircraft will come on top of Biman’s largest-ever order, signed with Boeing on April 30.

That $3.7 billion package comprises eight 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9s and four 737-8 jets. The first aircraft is due in November 2031, with deliveries scheduled to run through October 2035. 

The 787-10s are intended primarily for high-demand Middle Eastern routes, while the 787-9s are designed to support longer services to Europe and North America. The 737-8s are aimed at regional routes in the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. 

Boeing says the 787 and 737 MAX families offer a 20-25 percent improvement in fuel use compared with aircraft they replace. 

Details of the additional 11 aircraft remain unclear. Biman has not publicly disclosed their models, price, financing structure or delivery schedule. 

The expansion may not stop with Boeing.

Biman is separately working on a proposed purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft — four A350-900 widebody jets and six A321neos. A technical committee has been examining the proposal. 

If both programmes proceed in full, Biman would have 35 aircraft on order against a current fleet of 19 — a planned acquisition programme almost twice the size of the airline’s existing fleet. 

The Boeing expansion also deepens the US manufacturer’s position in Biman’s fleet. The carrier currently operates 14 Boeing aircraft, including 787-8s, 787-9s, 777s and older-generation 737s

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