Bangladesh Says It’ll Buy 25 Boeing Aircraft

Boeing has secured yet another new aircraft order, this time from Bangladesh.

In what has been a hectic few weeks, Bangladesh will purchase 25 aircraft from the American planemaker as part of efforts to ease trade tensions with the United States.

While there are benefits for the Bangladesh aviation sector, the deal with the United States also involves ramping up American imports and a subsequent steep drop in tariffs under the current administration.

Additionally, purchasing 25 aircraft represents a significant increase from what the country had previously planned to buy, as early discussions with reporters and media revealed an initial requirement for just 14 planes.

The jump of an additional 11 units comes at a point where there’s a consensus that new aircraft are needed, and needed urgently. As a result, as capacity grows, the country must keep up.

Transitioning to next-generation aircraft and, more importantly, increasing fleet sizes will be key to ramping up service to specific markets; therefore, this latest purchase is crucial to that.

The flag carrier of Bangladesh is Biman Bangladesh Airlines, also known as Biman, with its central hub at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The company operates a modest fleet of aircraft.

With just 15 aircraft listed as in service, only five units of the next-generation fleet are visible, all 787 Dreamliners, with six delivered units averaging 6.3 years of age.

All other aircraft in the company’s fleet, including 777s and 737s, excluding propeller-powered planes, are averaging over 10 years of age, at times exceeding 15 years.

As a result, if growth is in the mind of the national carrier, which appears to be the case, a purchase of new planes for the country will benefit this operator substantially, with further renewal efforts across its single-aisle and wide-body fleet types.

A Busy Few Weeks For Boeing

A new purchase from Bangladesh follows one of Boeing’s busiest months for new commercial aircraft orders.

Only last week was it confirmed that a major deal was set to come for up to 100 aircraft from Japan. At the same time, specifics were not disclosed, which would help bring airlines up to speed with competitors and additionally help fleets transition to new products.

That purchase also came after Indonesia selected the 777X as part of a new aircraft order worth tens of billions, which would include approximately 50 aircraft as part of its fleet revamp efforts.

Apart from this, Thailand is also committing to more Boeing planes, with the biggest beneficiary likely to be Thai Airways, which has lost significant capacity over time after retiring larger planes and undergoing restructuring.

Boeing has therefore been able to secure several high-profile deals with major international airlines and programs that have arguably not had smooth sailing in recent periods.

All these deals are driven by the continued threat of tariffs and escalating trade tensions, which have prompted new agreements, including new commercial aircraft orders.