Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Sunday said the process of procuring 14 aircraft from US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing by 2035 is currently underway.
He made the remarks at the Secretariat while briefing reporters on contemporary issues related to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry.
The adviser said a proposal to procure 25 Boeing aircraft has been under consideration since 2024.
“More than 60 lakh passengers travelled through Bangladesh’s airports last year but Biman Bangladesh Airlines carried only about 20 lakh of them due to limited capacity,” he said.
At present, Bangladesh has only 14 flyable aircraft while it will need 47 aircraft by 2035, said the adviser.
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“We are discussing the purchase of just 14 aircraft from Boeing by that time. A techno-economic feasibility analysis comparing Boeing and Airbus has already been conducted and submitted,” he added.
He said a negotiation team headed by Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud was formed by the Chief Adviser’s Office to conduct price negotiations with Boeing and discussions are still ongoing.
“If we can complete this process, Alhamdulillah. If not, unfortunately, we will not be able to finalise the procurement,” he added.
Bashir Uddin said Bangladesh’s export earnings from the US exceed Tk 1 lakh crore annually while the proposed aircraft purchase could cost between Tk 30,000 crore and Tk 35,000 crore, to be paid over 10 to 20 years.
“Against our exports, we may need to pay only around Tk 1,500 crore to Tk 2,000 crore per year,” he said, adding that a previously imposed 37 percent tariff by the US has been negotiated down to 20 percent.
He said the current government does not want to leave a burden for the next administration, especially where high export duties put 700,000 jobs or businesses worth Tk 1 lakh crore at risk.
“While a country like India has promised $600 billion in US procurement, we are only talking about $3 billion,” he said.
Earlier, in response to criticism over the government’s Boeing purchase plan, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan said Biman Bangladesh Airlines currently has only 19 aircraft in its fleet.
Four more planes (two Dash-8s and two Boeing 737-800s) will be retired by 2030, she said.
Without new aircraft, regular flight operations on existing routes could be disrupted and launching new routes will be impossible, she added.
The secretary said that in light of these challenges, the government and aviation authorities have taken a long-term plan to expand the fleet and network.
Proposals were invited from Boeing and Airbus and technical and financial analyses have been completed. Negotiations with Boeing are ongoing, she said.
She also said that, in view of the 37 per cent reciprocal tariff by the United States, a proposal to buy 25 Boeing aircraft has been made to reduce the trade deficit and increase employment.
“Although some media outlets have criticised the plan as hasty, the process has been ongoing since 2024 and is part of a long-term strategy,” she added.