Canadian Bombardier Inc has offered Bangladesh to sell two more Dash Q400 turboprops aircraft after delivering three brand new same 74-seater narrow-body planes to Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
“Bombardier informed us that they would like to sell two more Q400 aircraft to Biman Bangladesh Airlines. If their (Bombardier) offer is good, we may consider it (to purchase two more turboprops),” State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali told BSS on Tuesday (Dec 31).
Ali said the government would like to increase the Biman’s short-haul fleet to grab a share of the growing domestic market, now dominated by private airlines. “We have already scheduled a meeting with Bombardier to discuss the matter further,” he added.
A delegation, including officials of Bombardier and the Canadian High Commission in Bangladesh will hold the meeting with the state minister and officials of the civil aviation ministry and Biman at secretariat on Thursday, according to the BSS report.
Biman acquired two Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 planes under dry lease for five years in April 2015 to resume its domestic flight operations after a three-year hiatus as the national flag carrier was forced to shut down all domestic flights in 2012 due to lack of aircraft.
Biman now operates flights to five domestic destinations with these two rented Dash 8 aircraft where two private carrier Novoair and US-Bangla airlines run flight to the country’s all seven domestic destinations with much higher frequency.
“We need more short-hual aircraft to increase frequencies in our all seven domestic routes as well as regional destinations like Kolkata and Yangon,” Ali said.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry’s official sources said the Bombardier has informed that if the Bangladesh government wants, they would be able to deliver two more brand new Dash Q400 within 24 months.
In August 2018, the Biman signed G2G (government-to-government) agreement with Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) to purchase three Dash Q400NG series aircraft from Bombardier as the lease period of the current two turboprop expires by mid-2020.
Bombardier is scheduled to deliver the three Dash planes in March, May and June in 2020.
“As per the agreement, Bombardier will provide us with substitute aircraft, if they fail to deliver brand new Q400 plane as scheduled,” Ali said.
Based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, the order is valued at approximately $106 million, Bombardier said in a statement after signing the agreement.
In November 2016, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a proposal of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry allowing Biman Bangladesh Airlines to procure three aircraft from the Canadian firm.
As per the fleet expansion plan, Biman this month added two brand new Boeing 787-9 dream liners that raised its current aircraft number at 18 (12 owned and 6 rented).
In 2008, Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a $2.1 billion agreement with Boeing to purchase 10 new aircraft and as per the deal, Boeing has delivered all the aircraft -- four 777-300ER, two 737-800 ER and four Dreamliner 787-8.