As part of a trade agreement with the United States, Bangladesh has placed an order to purchase 25 Boeing aircraft. Although the final deal has not been signed yet, Bangladesh wants the new aircraft to be economy-configured, with the maximum possible number of seats. Discussions are currently underway with Boeing regarding the interior design, including seat layout, of the aircraft to be purchased for Biman Bangladesh Airlines. If negotiations progress smoothly, the purchase agreement may be finalized in December, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The seating arrangement is being planned specifically to serve Middle Eastern routes, enabling lower ticket prices for passengers.
The authorities have not yet disclosed which Boeing models Bangladesh intends to buy, though ministry officials confirmed they will be wide-body aircraft. Currently, Biman’s fleet comprises Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners, as well as Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft.
According to Biman sources, the Dreamliner 787-8 in its current fleet has 271 seats, 24 of which are in business class and the rest in economy class. The same model carries different seat capacities across airlines. For example, Qatar Airways operates 787-8 aircraft with 254 to 267 seats. On the other hand, British Airways accommodates only 214 seats in the same model.
Aviation experts say that if the 787-8 were configured entirely for economy class, it could hold up to 381 seats, while the 787-9 could accommodate as many as 420 passengers. Similarly, the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in Biman’s fleet currently seats 419 passengers, including 35 in business class. However, some international airlines operate this model with as many as 514 seats.
Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman thinks that the seating configuration will be a crucial factor in the Boeing purchase. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he said, “Most of our passengers travel to the Middle East. And the majority of these passengers are migrant workers. Our adviser (Sk Bashir Uddin, adviser to the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism) wants them to travel home at an affordable cost. It’s not reasonable that they send money (remittance) home but have to spend around BDT 100,000 on an air ticket. That’s why we’re in discussion with Boeing. The new airplanes will primarily focus on Middle Eastern routes, and the seating layout must be designed to carry the maximum number of passengers, helping reduce ticket prices. The interiors need to be customized specifically for Bangladesh’s needs. Once these issues are finalized, we’ll proceed with the Boeing agreement. However, even after signing the agreement, we will probably not receive any aircraft before 2029.”
The commerce secretary mentioned that although the new airplanes will have more seats, they will not operate as budget airlines. “In many aircraft, a large amount of legroom is left as empty space,” he further said. “The aircraft we plan to purchase will be designed for economic operation, but not as budget carriers. There’s a difference between budget and economy airlines. Budget airlines don’t serve meals. They also offer limited travel facilities. That’s not what we want. Our goal is to maximize seat capacity and make optimal use of space while maintaining passenger comfort,” he explained.
He noted that before finalizing the deal, discussions with Boeing are currently ongoing on these design and alignment issues. “We are now talking about aircraft alignment. This is taking some time. Once alignment is finalized, the agreement will be signed,” he further explained.
Aircraft manufacturers usually do not disclose official sale prices. However, according to various websites, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner model is priced between $248 million and $336 million. After negotiations between the buyer and seller, the price can often be reduced to $120–180 million. A new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is priced at around $370 million. However, bargaining can reduce the price by $50–$70 million, bringing the cost to roughly $300 million per unit.
At present, the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines operates a fleet of 19 aircraft, including four Boeing 787-8s, two Boeing 787-9s, four Boeing 777-300ERs, four Boeing 737-800s, and five Dash 8-400s.
However, despite the commerce secretary’s remarks about the ongoing discussions with Boeing on purchase orders, seat configurations, and potential routes, the national carrier itself claims to be unaware of the matter. Boshra Islam, Spokesperson and General Manager (Public Relations) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told Bonik Barta, “We are not aware of the matter regarding aircraft procurement. We have no information.”