Airbus Nears Order From Bangladesh

Airbus is close to securing a firm agreement with Bangladesh for 10 aircraft destined for Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

The long-awaited purchase has re-emerged in headlines after M Rashiduzzaman Millat, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister, said an agreement was being prepared, just days after it expanded its Boeing commercial aircraft package.

Bangladesh’s purchase of Airbus jets is set to include as many as 10 aircraft, with four A350-900s and six A321neos. The contract could be signed as soon as October and would further grow the backlog for commercial airplanes across narrow- and wide-body types.

Despite Bangladesh pursuing new commercial aircraft, analysts remain concerned about the acquisition of new planes and the scale revealed in the agreed Boeing terms and prospective Airbus ones.

Bangladesh has, per analysts and data, struggled economically, and new commitments to next-generation aircraft, while necessary for the development and renewal of airlines and people using the services, cannot come at the expense of other investment in necessary services that have been neglected.

10 Airbus jets expected as soon as October

Millat spoke with reporters in Dhaka and stated that the 10 Airbus jets of interest to Bangladesh were likely to be agreed in October, with the proposed acquisition helping lift both narrowbody and widebody capacity.

Specifics on the price and delivery schedule haven’t been published, as the deal still needs work across all parties, but it follows earlier confirmation that Biman would move to a mixed fleet in the future.

Previously, the Airbus agreement was expected by 31 August 2026; however, while the mixed-fleet strategy was clear, signing the paperwork has been problematic between Airbus and Boeing in dealings with Bangladesh.

While Boeing’s side of the contract has crossed the line, the Airbus component appears more challenging. Still, conversations remain active and progressing to a point of higher confidence that could enable a contract to be signed next month.

Airbus securing purchases from Bangladesh follows its own disgruntled state over the agreement of new airframes, which it felt saw competitror Boeign favoured for trade-related reasons rather than strictly the aircraft and deals being offered.

The unfair advantage Boeing was seen to have had over the European manufacturer pushed Airbus to express its frustrations over the negotiation phase publicly; this is a measure rarely taken in other negotiations.

An Airbus order follows on from Boeing

The Airbus purchase of 10 aircraft is the second part of Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ fleet renewal and follows the 23 September 2026 purchase of five 787-10s and six 737-8s for 11 additional jets.

The Boeing order built upon an earlier purchase this year and lifted total commitments to 25, with Airbus then providing 10 aircraft itself. Biman has 36 jets, part of its future orderbook spanning across narrowbody and widebody types.

Acquiring 35 aircraft aligns more closely with what Biman initially outlined as its hoped-for fleet. The total number of aircraft expected to be acquired has since been reduced as financing concerns became apparent.

Despite strong commitments for next-generation jets, Boeing is not expected to begin deliveries to Bangladesh until late 2031, and deliveries will conclude by 2035. That delivery window comes as the airline’s hopes of bringing the handover forward by several years were also publicly pushed back.