The government is going to purchase 10 aircraft from the European aircraft manufacturing company Airbus. State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat stated that an agreement in this regard may be signed as early as next October.
In response to journalists' questions during a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday, September 29, the minister said, "We are buying Airbus. We are buying 10. Insha Allah, the agreement will be signed in October."
Meanwhile, the aviation minister also announced that an agreement has been signed to purchase an additional 11 aircraft from the US aircraft manufacturing company Boeing. As a result, the total number of contracted aircraft with Boeing has now reached 25.
The minister stated that signing the agreement does not mean the aircraft will arrive in the country immediately. According to the agreement, the first aircraft will arrive in the country in 2031. It will take 11 to 12 years for all 25 aircraft to arrive. Therefore, no payment is required to be made at this moment; payment will be made only after each aircraft arrives in the country.
On the other hand, the minister mentioned that these agreements are being made keeping in mind the long-term plan of where the country's aviation sector will stand 25 to 30 years from now.
In response to a question regarding which country or institution the aircraft will be purchased from, M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said, "Where and what we buy is definitely our own internal matter. We are doing this by considering which aircraft is suitable for us in what way… Whether someone's level playing field was ensured or not is not our concern to look into."
He stated that it is necessary to strengthen the country's aviation sector. In this context, he cited the example of Ethiopia, a country with a lower GDP compared to Bangladesh.
The aviation minister said that Ethiopian Airlines currently operates with a fleet of 167 aircraft, and the aviation sector makes a significant contribution to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Compared to that, Bangladesh is far behind in the aviation sector.
