Biman Bangladesh Commits To 10 Airbus A350s According To French President Macron

Summary

• Biman Bangladesh Airlines is expected to order ten Airbus A350s, marking a significant shift from its previous almost exclusive use of Boeing aircraft.
• The order will be part of the airline’s international expansion plans and will include a firm order for two A350F dedicated freighters.
• The move comes after months of negotiations between Bangladesh and various national governments to develop the country’s aviation sector and strengthen trade relations.

The national carrier of Bangladesh appears to be on the verge of ordering ten Airbus A350s, ending a period of Boeing dominance at the Dhaka-based airline. While the company has not yet placed firm orders, it has committed to taking on the European widebody to facilitate its ambitious international expansion plans.

The A350 is heading to Bangladesh

As reported in Al Arabiya News, during a speech to journalists earlier today, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Biman) has committed to ordering ten A350 aircraft from Airbus.

This announcement marks a significant shift in the airline’s fleet planning strategy, having exclusively purchased new aircraft from Airbus’ arch-rival Boeing for many years. While the new aircraft will not be the first Airbus products operated by the airline (it has previously operated six A310-300s), Boeing planes dominate the carrier’s current fleet.

It is reported that with executives from the two companies currently finalizing the finer details of the deal, the completion of the order for the new aircraft is now imminent. The deal is expected to include a firm order for a pair of A350 dedicated freighters (A350F). Speaking to reporters following a meeting with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, President Macron said,

“I thank you for your trust in the European aerospace industry. And this commitment for 10 Airbus A350 is important.”

The deal follows lengthy negotiations

Today’s announcement follows several months of high-level meetings between dignitaries from Bangladesh and various national governments.

In May, an agreement was signed between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, which paved the way for the future expansion of the Bangladeshi aviation sector. The two nations formed an aviation partnership to develop the industry, which included provisions and finance for purchasing Airbus passenger and cargo jets.

The primary aim of this agreement was to strengthen Bangladesh’s trade and investment relations with the UK and the other European partners of Airbus to develop aviation in its own country. Under this earlier agreement, which effectively laid the groundwork for today’s announcement, Mahbub Ali, Bangladesh’s junior minister for civil aviation, said,

“We have asked for ten [Airbus A350] aircraft in phases. The technical committee is now evaluating. These aircraft will be used on new and old routes. Each country has Airbus and Boeing in its fleet. But we only have Boeing, not a single Airbus”.

Biman switches allegiance

The company has been flying for 51 years this year as an independent carrier and has operated a mixed fleet over its history. In fact, a Biman McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operated the last ever DC-10 scheduled passenger flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Birmingham (UK) in 2014.

Nowadays, according to ch-aviation, the airline operates a fleet of 21 aircraft in total. Biman’s all-Boeing jet fleet consists of 16 aircraft, including four 777-300ERs, four 787-8, and two 787-9 Dreamliners alongside narrowbody jet fleet of six 737-800s.

While the 777-300ERs have an average age of around ten years, the 787 fleet has an average age of 4.4 years. The carrier also uses five De Havilland DHC-8-Q400 turboprops for regional operations.

With Biman currently operating just ten wide-bodied aircraft, an order for ten more (from any manufacturer) marks a sizeable expansion of the airline’s long-haul capabilities. Given the relatively young age of its Boeing 787 fleet, in particular, it would be safe to assume that the new planes will be used to expedite the carrier’s ambitious expansion plans.

Major expansion plans ahead

Biman’s demand for more widebody, long-haul aircraft comes as air travel to and from Bangladesh is seeing a strong post-pandemic rebound. The carrier currently flies nonstop to 31 destinations across 17 countries worldwide.

That said, Biman Bangladesh currently operates a relatively limited long-haul route network. The airline has limited European routes (including to London and Manchester in the UK) and flights to other cities in Southeast Asia, including Bangkok, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur.

The airline has also operated a limited service to Toronto over the years, albeit not continuously. However, Bangladesh as a nation currently has a Category 2 rating with the Federal Aviation Administration, so it is not currently permitted to operate to the United States until that rating is upgraded.

In advance of today’s announcement, last week, Biman revived its hopes to fly to the US. It applied to the US Department of Transportation to operate between Dakar and New York JFK Airport five times per week.

It hopes to fly the route next summer using the Boeing 787-9, routing Dhaka via Izmir (Turkey) to New York JFK outbound, with the stop to refuel and change crew. However, in the future, with the A350s in its fleet, nonstop service would become possible.

There is no doubt that the introduction of new A350s into its fleet will offer Biman passengers a level of passenger experience previously unseen in the carrier’s long-haul operations. What the airline chooses to do with the new planes and which destinations around the airline’s route network they will be sent remains to be seen.

What are your thoughts on Biman ordering the A350? Do you look forward to flying on one of the new aircraft? Tell us more in the comments.

Source: ch-aviation.com, Al Arabiya,