European aircraft manufacturing giant Airbus has submitted a proposal to Biman Bangladesh Airlines to sell its planes just after the national flag carrier signed a $3.7 billion fleet expansion deal with US rival Boeing.
“Airbus recently approached Biman with a proposal to sell 10 aircraft, which a relevant committee is now evaluating,” Boshra Islam, Biman’s general manager for public relations, told The Daily Star.
She, however, did not provide further details on the proposal.
According to Biman insiders, Airbus has offered four A350‑900 long‑range wide‑body aircraft and six A321neo short‑range narrow‑body jets in a proposal sent to the airline’s techno‑finance committee.
Contacted, an Airbus spokesperson for South Asia told The Daily Star, “We do not comment on discussions we may or may not be having with our customers.”
Airbus’s latest move comes about two weeks after Biman signed a $3.7 billion agreement with Boeing on April 30 to acquire 14 aircraft, including eight 787‑10s, two 787‑9s and four 737 MAX 8s.
Biman’s deal with Boeing concludes more than three years of fierce competition between the US manufacturer and its European rival for the airline’s next major fleet order.
For nearly four years, Airbus mounted its strongest challenge yet to enter Biman’s fleet. Both Boeing and Airbus have repeatedly submitted proposals to Biman to sell aircraft.
On May 5, Airbus Vice President Edward Delahaye met Civil Aviation Minister Afroza Khanam, State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, and senior Biman officials in Dhaka, where the European aircraft manufacturer formally pitched a mixed-fleet strategy for Biman’s next phase of expansion.
Edward Delahaye advocated for the inclusion of its aircraft in the Biman fleet alongside Boeings, saying that a mixed fleet would benefit the national airline.
In response to Airbus’s proposal, the minister and state minister expressed their commitment to working closely with the company regarding the future composition of Biman’s fleet.
Biman’s current fleet is dominated by Boeing aircraft, with 14 of its 19 planes from Boeing. The remaining five are Dash 8s manufactured by De Havilland Canada.
The deal to purchase Boeing aircraft was part of the interim government’s strategy to reduce Bangladesh’s trade gap with the US and secure tariff relief.
During negotiations over the 37 percent reciprocal tariff imposed by Washington last year, Dhaka had signalled plans to order 25 Boeing aircraft.
Through negotiations, the rate was cut to 20 percent effective August 1, 2025, and further reduced to 19 percent under a trade agreement signed with the US on February 9, 2026. The civil aviation ministry later approved the acquisition of 14 Boeing aircraft, with only the formal signing pending.
A prospective deal with Airbus gained traction in 2023 through high‑level European engagement, including French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit and references in a Bangladesh‑UK joint statement to a possible purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft, including freighters.
European diplomats from France, the United Kingdom, and Germany lobbied strongly, arguing that introducing Airbus would reduce procurement dependency, improve pricing leverage, and deepen Bangladesh’s industrial links with Europe.
Under the previous Awami League government, a decision had been announced to buy 10 Airbus planes. But after Hasina’s ouster in the face of a mass uprising in August 2024 and amid pressure over US tariffs, the interim government shifted in favour of Boeing.
