United News of Bangladesh

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. Govt transparent over aircraft crash, spreading rumors serious offense: Law Adviser “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.

India’s aviation regulator has instructed airlines to inspect specific Boeing aircraft models following last month’s deadly Air India crash which killed 260 people. On Monday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed all carriers operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners and certain Boeing 737 variants to examine their fuel control switches. Airlines must complete inspections and report their findings by July 21. The order comes after a preliminary investigation into the June 12 crash near Ahmedabad found both engines were deprived of fuel when the switches were flipped off almost simultaneously. The report, released last week, did not clarify how or why the switches moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position mid-flight. Fuel to Air India plane was cut off moments before crash, report says The switches regulate fuel flow to the engines. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground. Investigators cited a 2018 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advisory that recommended checking the locking mechanism of these switches on Boeing planes. Cockpit audio recordings revealed a moment of confusion between the pilots, with one asking why the fuel had been cut. The other denied taking such action. Some Indian aviation experts have suggested pilot error, though pilot unions strongly rejected such claims. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association condemned “reckless and unfounded” speculation, including theories of pilot suicide. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the probe found no mechanical or maintenance faults with the aircraft. In a memo to staff, he noted the aircraft had passed all mandatory maintenance and safety checks, and the pilots were medically cleared. Following the crash, Indian authorities ordered comprehensive checks of all 33 Dreamliners in Air India’s fleet.

Flight operations at Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport resumed on Friday afternoon after three and half hours of disruption caused by the wheel puncture of a Boeing aircraft blocking the runway. The flights resumed around 4:30pm after removing the Biman aircraft from the runway, said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. Earlier, one of the wheels of the Boeing-737 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines got punctured with a big bang when it began its approach to take off. According to the airport authority, the aircraft carrying 148 passengers was scheduled to take off for Dhaka around 12.55pm. Passenger Mostak Hyat Khan said, “We were panicked as the aircraft started shaking after a big bang.” After the shaking, the pilot slowed the speed of the plane and tried to take off but was forced to halt when they came to know about the problem, Khan said. “We were stranded inside the aircraft for around 40 minutes and later brought to the airport lounge,” he added.

The two Boeing aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines that collided with each other in the hangar area of Dhaka airport have come into operation on Thursday. However, the incident is still under investigation, said a media release from Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Also read:Collision between two Biman planes at Shahjalal Int’l Airport Earlier on Sunday, the Boeing 777-300ER collided with the Boeing 737-800 aircraft while entering the hangar inside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The radome and front bulkhead of the 777 aircraft and the horizontal stabilizer on the left of the 737 aircraft were partially damaged due to the collision, said the release. The two damaged aircraft have been readied for take off in a short period of time due to the efforts of skilled aircraft engineers.