Biman’s Airbus plane purchase deal likely during PM’s UK visit
Dhaka: Biman Bangladesh Airline’s deal to purchase 10 Airbus aircraft, comprising eight passenger planes and two cargo freighters, is likely to take place during the Prime Minister of the country Sheikh Hasina’s visit to the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister is currently on a tri-nation tour and she will be leaving Washington for London on May 4, as per reports.
Earlier, on May 3, Biman Board of Directors at a meeting approved the proposal of buying Airbus planes.
The Prime Minister is expected to approve the deal during her visit to the UK followed by an official memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between the Airbus and Biman authorities.
Bangladesh-born UK MP Rushanara Ali had been pursuing the Ministry of Civil Aviation Ministry in favour of the Airbus procurement. She handed over a letter in this regard to the ministry in 2022. In the same year, Airbus representatives organised a demonstration of the new Airbus A350 aircraft at Dhaka Airport.
Reports cited a top official of the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirming they received the letter saying, “Airbus offered half the current market price of the aircraft. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned government wings are dealing with the matter.”
On this note, reports added, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md0 Mahbub Ali, saying, "The government plans to revive and regain the international aviation market following the Prime Minister's directives on turning the country into an aviation hub in the subcontinent. We have taken a policy decision to purchase 10 new state-of-the-art aircraft for Biman.”
Biman Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shafiul Azim was further cited by reports saying, “The decision to launch several new routes, including Japan and the United States, has already been taken. The procurement of the Airbus fleet is part of our plans for the region.”
There had been recent reports citing an official from the European plane maker Airbus confirming that the firm wants to maintain its presence in Bangladesh's aviation industry, predicted to triple in passenger and cargo traffic by 2040.
Airbus representatives said the new aircraft would be ideal for meeting the rising demand in Bangladesh’s aviation industry and boosting Airbus's relations with the country.
In 2022, Rémi Maillard, Ppresident of Airbus India and Managing Director of South Asia region, said, “Airbus is committed to contributing to and developing Biman Bangladesh airlines to recapture the market from foreign carriers.”
“To tackle the situation, airlines require a highly competitive modernised long-haul aircraft, which the Airbus family of products, including the long-range widebody A350, can provide,” he added.
Reports revealed an Airbus study stating, Bangladesh's aviation market grew at a 50 per cent faster rate than most other countries in the last 10 years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 per cent compared to the rest of the world's (6 per cent).
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