Biman to buy three Dash 8 aircraft from Canada to fly domestic routes

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to buy three small aircraft from Canada to service domestic routes.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 20 Dec 2017, 04:18 PM
Updated : 20 Dec 2017, 04:18 PM

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved on Wednesday the purchase of three Dash 8 aircraft through a government-to-government agreement. Canadian company Bombardier makes the Dash 8.

Additional Cabinet Secretary Mostafizur Rahman told reporters that the committee approved Biman proposal in principle in the meeting chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

Biman currently has 13 aircraft, of which seven have been taken on lease. The Dash planes, already in Biman fleet on the lease, are being operated on the domestic route.

The Biman proposal to the cabinet committee mentioned that the national carrier needed to procure three 70-seater to 80-seater Dash 8 Q-400 NG Turbo-Prop for its domestic routes.

The civil aviation ministry has opted for Bombardier and seeking Canadian government loan to compete the procurement.

According to the ministry proposal, Biman would sign an agreement with Canadian Commercial Corporation for the purchase.

Biman said the new procurement was necessary because a number of aircraft would be discarded from the fleet in the immediate future.

Two aircraft will be removed from the Biman fleet in January and March for re-delivery while four other would be returned in early 2022 at the end of the lease term, the proposal pointed out.

13 BTMC mills and 30 Mercedes Benz

The cabinet committee also agreed in principle that 13 mills under BTMC would be made operational under the public-private partnership, but the mills have not been selected for reopening.

It also approved the purchase of 30 Mercedes Benz cars with tax-free provisions for 45th OIC foreign ministers' conference due to be held in Dhaka on May 5-6 next year.