Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka) has received correspondence from Boeing regarding the potential purchase of B787s. Boeing's move follows the carrier recently announcing it intended to acquire ten Airbus aircraft after securing access to the UK Export Finance scheme.
Dhaka's Business Standard reports that Boeing sent the offer letter to the airline's chairman, with the matter discussed at a board meeting held on the evening of May 29. "We presented both proposals that we received from Boeing and Airbus," Managing Director Shafiul Azim told the outlet after the meeting. "We have been asked to look into which is more profitable for us in the long run and present the findings at the next board meeting."
Boeing reportedly offered four B787s, including the B787-9s and B787-10 variants, as well as an undisclosed number of freighters. The prospective Airbus order included eight widebody passenger aircraft and two freighters.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is a long-time Boeing customer. Except for five DHC-8-Q400s, the airline operates an all-Boeing fleet, including six B737-800s, four B777-300ERs, four B787-8s, and two B787-9s. Azim acknowledged the manufacturer's longstanding relationship with the carrier and added that Boeing had also offered technical support and training. He said the Biman Bangladesh board was "not in the position of making a final decision" about the order.
