The Bangladeshi government and its state-owned carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka), continue to favour Airbus over Boeing for a future aircraft order but have yet to commit.
"At the moment, our plan is to buy ten Airbuses," Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Farooq Khan told a press conference in Dhaka on May 7. "As far as I know, we have received a very good offer from Airbus. At the same time, Boeing also made us a good offer. We are evaluating these proposals. We will consider what's in the best interest of Bangladesh."
In May 2023, Biman secured funding to purchase ten Airbus aircraft on soft terms after signing a joint communiqué with the United Kingdom allowing the airline to access funds via the UK Export Finance scheme. The aim was to acquire eight passenger plus two cargo aircraft. At the time, unnamed ministry officials were briefing local outlets saying Airbus was offering aircraft at around half their list prices. However, Boeing ensured its products remained in the mix ahead of any final decision, also offering B787s on competitive terms.
Since then, reports have periodically resurfaced that an order is imminent, usually favouring Airbus, but to date no firm order has eventuated. Khan said the evaluation should be completed within the next two months, ahead of the upcoming national budget.
Separately, on May 9, Biman Bangladesh announced it had repaid USD1.57 billion of a USD2.07 billion 2011 loan taken out to buy new aircraft. The airline says it is now generating enough cash to service the loans without government assistance, and the repayments cover both principal and interest. It says it has also repaid a BDT7.88 billion taka (USD67.3 million) loan extended to it during the pandemic by the government.
