Biman to sign deal with Boeing tomorrow to buy 14 aircraft
The signing ceremony will be held at the ballroom of InterContinental Dhaka at 7:30pm, Biman sources confirmed to The Business Standard.
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to sign its long-awaited aircraft purchase agreement with US aviation giant Boeing on Thursday (30 April).
The signing ceremony will be held at the ballroom of InterContinental Dhaka at 7:30pm, Biman sources confirmed to The Business Standard.
At least 14 new aircraft will be added to the Biman fleet under the deal, according to sources.
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Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Civil Aviation Minister Afroza Khanam, State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen, and top executives of Boeing and Biman are expected to attend the ceremony.
European planemaker Airbus and US-based Boeing have long been competing to supply aircraft to Biman. With the new agreement, Airbus appears to be lagging behind in the competition.
State Minister Rashiduzzaman Millat said last week that the government was working to sign a deal with Boeing by 30 April to purchase 14 aircraft and lease several others as part of efforts to turn Biman Bangladesh Airlines into a profitable entity.
Earlier, on 4 April, he said the interim government had in principle approved the acquisition of 14 Boeing aircraft, with only the formal signing remaining.
However, the state minister indicated that the new government may review Boeing's offer before signing the final purchase agreement.
Aviation sector insiders said the proposed order, valued at roughly $3.7 billion at list prices, includes a mix of wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner and narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX jets, aimed at strengthening both long-haul and regional operations over the next decade.
With deliveries expected to take up to five years and extend into the next decade, the government has opted for interim measures such as leasing to address immediate fleet shortages.
"To ensure smooth operations during this period, we are planning to lease aircraft, preferably through dry leasing, for the next five years," the state minister said.
The national flag carrier is currently operating international routes with around 19 aircraft – well below the estimated requirement of 30 to 35 aircraft needed to meet growing passenger demand and support planned network expansion, according to sources.
Biman's fleet is currently dominated by Boeing aircraft, and the airline plans to expand its fleet to 47 by 2041.
The first aircraft from Boeing is scheduled for delivery in October 2031, according to Biman sources, while the remaining aircraft are expected to be delivered by November 2035.
The timeline follows policy-level approval by the Biman board to purchase 14 aircraft from Boeing – a decision that has, for now, pushed Airbus's competing proposal to the back burner.
Biman currently operates a fleet of 19 aircraft, of which 14 are Boeing-made. Under the approved proposal, Boeing is set to supply two Boeing 787-9 aircraft, eight Boeing 787-10s, and four Boeing 737-8s.
The board reviewed Boeing's proposal dated 24 November 2025 and a revised draft agreement submitted on 20 December 2025 before granting policy-level approval on 30 December.
