BSS, DHAKA: Civil aviation and tourism minister M Faruk Khan
today reiterated that Biman Bangladesh airlines will purchase new aircraft in
line with its evaluation committee’s recommendation.
“Currently, the evaluation process is undergo .. and expectedly it will be
completed within one or two months,” he told reporters after emerging from a
meeting with the outgoing US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas at the
secretariat here.
The minister said that currently Biman’s evaluating committee is working on
proposals from both US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing and European
aerospace giant Airbus.
Responding to a question, Khan said, Biman received a decent proposal from
Airbus. “It’s a competitive world and we would consider the better proposal
including the financial and other offers of two companies (Boeing and
Airbus),” he added.
About the meeting, the minister said he assured the US envoy that Bangladesh
will follow its standard procurement policy through tender and evaluation in
purchasing the new aircraft.
“Bangladesh always gave preference to purchasing quality products and in
future we would follow the same (purchasing process of aircraft),” he said.
The minister said he raised the issue over resumption of Dhaka-New York
flight operation through upgrading Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh
(CAAB) to category -1 by the US’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
He sought a quick decision from the US side regarding the issue as resumption
of Dhaka-New York flight is political commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina to the countrymen.
Earlier, the Ambassador told the reporters that they discussed on friendly
bilateral ties, cooperation and partnership between Bangladesh and the US.
Haas noted that different American companies expressed that they want to
expand the business in the coming days, especially in the growing aviation
sector of Bangladesh.
The tug of war between the two aviation giants continues for more than a year
when the Bangladesh government decided to purchase more wide body planes for
the Biman fleet, which currently is dominated by Boeing planes.
The Airbus came to the scene last year when a Joint Communique was signed in
London between UK’s Minister of State in the Department of Business and Trade
Lord Dominic Johnson and Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Private Industry and
Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman.
The Communique, includes the purchase of 10 A350 aircraft, including two A350
Freighters from the Airbus to establish an aviation and trade partnership to
develop Bangladesh’s aviation sector.
Seeing the Airbus move to munch Boeing monopoly in Bangladesh’s aviation
industry, the US plane manufactures came up with a proposal to Biman to
supply more Boeing wide body aircraft.
Recently Biman’s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Jahid Islam Bhuiyan told media that the state-owned carrier needs might
require collaboration with both Boeing and Airbus as the airline targets to
add 32 more aircraft to its fleet in next 10 years.
“Discussions with Airbus have progressed, and a proposal from Boeing is also
on the table. Given our high demands, it is likely that a single company will
not suffice,” he added.
