Bangladesh wants at least one airbus aircraft this year: Aviation Minister

Bangladesh has asked Airbus to deliver at least one aircraft to Biman Bangladesh Airlines by the end of this year as part of efforts to modernise the national carrier’s fleet, said Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat.


He said only around 20 per cent of Bangladesh’s international passengers currently travel on Biman, while the remaining 80 per cent use foreign airlines. Expanding and modernising Biman’s fleet is therefore essential to enable more Bangladeshi passengers to travel internationally on the national carrier, he added.

The minister said the new-generation Airbus aircraft would help Biman build a more flexible fleet capable of responding to demand across different routes and passenger volumes. Aircraft shortages are currently making it difficult for the airline to meet passenger demand, he noted.

Addressing a senior Airbus official, Millat specifically requested the delivery of at least one aircraft within 2026, describing it as a special request from Bangladesh.

The minister also highlighted longstanding challenges facing Bangladesh’s air cargo sector. He said the European Union has classified cargo and mail originating from Bangladesh as high-risk since June 2017.

Bangladesh has already taken several measures to address the EU’s concerns, he said, adding that a recent assessment by the UK Department for Transport gave Osmani International Airport a score of 98 per cent and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport 94 per cent on July 17, 2026.

Against this backdrop, Millat called for EU cooperation to lift restrictions on cargo shipments from Bangladesh as soon as possible.

Addressing Biman officials and employees, the minister said new Airbus aircraft alone would not guarantee the airline’s success. He stressed that Biman’s future would depend on professionalism, discipline, skills and a strong sense of responsibility among its employees.

“Every passenger served, every flight operated and every decision made is linked to Bangladesh’s image,” Rashiduzzaman Millat said, urging Biman to build a culture centred on safety, efficiency, punctuality, integrity and excellence.