Boeing Beats Airbus For Bangladesh Order

Airbus has lost out on a contract for new commercial aircraft that it has been pursuing for some time to competitor Boeing.

The customer in question is Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which has decided to return to the American planemaker for its fleet renewal efforts, with a deal to purchase 14 planes agreed in principle.

The decision came at the airline’s Annual General Meeting, where the Aviation and Tourism advisor for Bangladesh, alongside the board of directors, discussed the airline’s current standing, plans, and more.

During this meeting, the Board of Directors decided to approve in principle the purchase of 14 aircraft from Boeing; negotiations are still ongoing for matters such as price and delivery terms, but to follow the recommendations handed down.

As part of the contract, the airline would go on to purchase eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, the high-capacity variant to elevate its widebody operations, complemented by two 787-9s.

Lastly, the airline will elevate its single-aisle fleet with four 737 MAX 8 jets to be ordered, as part of efforts, most notably, to renew the business and become more efficient across operations.

The 14 aircraft ordered follow a proposal from Airbus, consisting of 10 A350 and 4 A320neos, to create a similar mix to what Biman Bangladesh was seeking.

Notably, as part of the contract, officials said that the pledge to purchase new planes from Boeing underscored their commitment to reduce the trade deficit with the United States for a more prosperous and stable future, the country saying that while there have been many criticisms over its decision-making, this was the best move following evaluation.

The latest contract, nevertheless, is perceived as an exciting one not just for the airline but for the broader country of Bangladesh, which will benefit from more state-of-the-art next-gen aircraft types, bringing truckloads of capacity and presenting new connectivity opportunities.

While all orders are hotly contested between planemakers who put forward their best possible contracts for planes in the hope of winning over the customer, this deal, though, felt mildly different to the rest, as noted by the rival planemaker, Airbus.

Airbus Pushed Hard For The Deal

Airbus and Boeing will often push for new commercial orders from airlines, battling it out following an RFP through extensive discussions to reach an agreement with the customer. At times, airlines will exclude one option entirely because they believe the other is better suited.

In the case of Bangladesh’s commitment to new planes from Boeing, Airbus has seemingly always felt a bit miffed about it. Over recent months, it was clear that the push was being made on the country and the national airline to take the time to consider the proposal.

The manufacturer did not believe that the reasons behind Boeing getting the deal, which were related to the relationship with the United States and political benefits, were a worthwhile reason and set an unfair premise moving forward.

Airbus pushed for Bangladesh to consider its offer, politics aside, for the aircraft that would be received, the terms and more and how they would integrate into the airline’s operation. This push follows a year of similar deals.

Following President Trump’s second adminsitration in office commencing in 2025, the persistent threat of tariffs on countries and, as each new trade agreement was reached, more often than not, a deal for new commercial aircraft from American planemaker Boeing was placed.

What this meant was that Boeing had an extreme year for orders, whereas Airbus still secured deals but didn’t receive as many as it would’ve liked, it’d argue, solely because of the position trade deals held in negotiations.