LATEST
Fish shortage in Teesta, fishermen changing professions Ensure opportunities beyond academics to nurture children’s talents Govt moves to simplify procedures in ship building, recycling AL reconciliation? ‘but on what basis?’ New policy to rein in battery rickshaws on Dhaka roads Bangladesh falls behind in innovation Indian Opposition Marches July uprising to get constitutional recognition Home Minister Dengue deaths hit year high Growth stalls at 3.4pc
Skip to content

Thursday | October 08, 2026 | Dhaka

Biman signs deal with Airbus for 10 new aircraft

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 08 October 2026  Updated: 11:37 PM, 07 October 2026

Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed an agreement with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Wednesday to acquire 10 new aircraft as part of a major fleet expansion programme.

The signing ceremony, titled “Spreading Our Wings Together,” was held at Utshab Hall of Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden.

The agreement covers four Airbus A350-900 widebody aircraft and six A321neo narrowbody jets, which are expected to support Biman’s future long-haul and regional route expansion.

The ceremony was attended by senior representatives of the government, Biman and Airbus, including Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, Invest Bangladesh Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, and Airbus India and South Asia President and Managing Director Jürgen Westermeier.

Sources familiar with the development said Biman and Airbus reached consensus on several outstanding issues after months of negotiations, leaving no major matters unresolved between the two sides.

The Airbus package is expected to be worth more than $2 billion, according to the sources.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat had earlier confirmed that Bangladesh planned to acquire 10 Airbus aircraft and that an agreement was expected to be signed in October.

The signing brings months of negotiations over Biman’s Airbus procurement to a close and comes shortly after the national flag carrier expanded its planned Boeing acquisition programme to 25 aircraft.
Biman plans 35-aircraft expansion.

With the Airbus deal and two Boeing agreements, Biman’s planned new-aircraft pipeline will rise to 35 aircraft, comprising 19 widebody and 16 narrowbody jets.

Biman signed its latest Boeing agreement in New York on September 23 under a “Right to Purchase Additional Aircraft” provision included in an earlier 14-aircraft purchase agreement signed on April 30.

The supplementary Boeing agreement covers five 787-10 Dreamliner widebody aircraft and six 737-8 MAX narrowbody jets. The 11 aircraft are expected to cost about $2.7 billion, with pricing based on the same terms agreed under the April contract, according to the minister.

The April 30 agreement covered 14 Boeing aircraft worth about $3.7 billion.
Together, the two Boeing agreements cover 25 aircraft, including 15 widebody jets – two 787-9s and 13 787-10s – and 10 Boeing 737-8 MAX narrowbody aircraft.

Under the agreements, the first Boeing aircraft is scheduled for delivery in November 2031, with the final aircraft expected by 2035.

Biman has, however, requested Boeing to deliver at least one aircraft earlier, possibly in 2027 or 2028, the minister said.

The Airbus agreement takes Biman’s planned fleet expansion to one of the largest in its history, with 35 new aircraft expected to significantly increase capacity on both long-haul and regional routes.