Airbus for Biman: Plane maker keen on MoU this month

For selling 10 planes to Biman, Airbus wants to have a memorandum of understanding signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Brussels later this month.

Hasina is expected to visit Brussels between October 24 and October 27.

The French embassy in a note verbale to the foreign ministry on October 8 said, "In order to finalise an agreement by then, the support of Bangladesh government is required to expedite the negotiations between Airbus and Biman Bangladesh Airlines."

The Daily Star has a copy of the note.

The issue will be discussed today in a meeting between Biman, a team from Airbus, and the ambassadors from the European Union, France, Germany and the British high commissioner, sources said.

This will be followed by meetings on October 15 and 16 between Airbus, the ambassadors from the EU, Germany, France, British high commissioner, Biman, the PM's principal secretary, the state minister for foreign affairs, Bangladesh Bank, and the secretary to the civil aviation ministry.

Biman is yet to finish a techno-financial evaluation of the Airbus proposal for the carrier to have a mixed fleet.

Biman on May 3, 2023, decided that such a purchase could only be done after a technical and financial evaluation.

During his visit to Bangladesh in September, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Bangladesh has committed to buying 10 Airbus aircraft.