Special Correspondent, Dhaka:
The Airbus-Boeing contest has surfaced again in Bangladesh, with the US and French ambassadors offering contrasting messages as Biman Bangladesh Airlines moves ahead with additional Boeing aircraft while Airbus negotiations remain open.
French Ambassador Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet said France was closely following the Airbus discussions and urged a “level playing field,” arguing that the proposed aircraft purchase should be viewed in the broader context of Bangladesh-Europe relations.
Speaking at a discussion organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) in Dhaka on Tuesday, he said the negotiations were continuing and that he was not yet concerned about their outcome.
For France, he suggested, the issue extends beyond the possible purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft. He described it as a test of Bangladesh’s willingness to develop a long-term partnership with Europe in civil aviation.
The ambassador also connected the Airbus negotiations with Bangladesh’s prospective free trade agreement talks with the European Union, expected to begin next year. He pointed to Europe’s importance to Bangladesh’s export economy, noting that 48 percent of Bangladesh’s garment exports go to Europe, compared with 17 percent to the United States.
His remarks came as Washington publicly welcomed Biman’s expanding relationship with Boeing. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen congratulated Boeing and Biman on the planned agreement to purchase 11 additional aircraft, describing it as another “win-win” for US-Bangladesh relations.
The agreement is being signed in New York on Wednesday during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Bangladesh had already signed a $3.7 billion agreement with Boeing in April for 14 aircraft, marking Biman’s largest-ever aircraft order. The additional 11-aircraft deal would further strengthen Boeing’s position in the carrier’s fleet expansion plans.
Airbus, however, has continued its engagement with Dhaka despite the Boeing agreements. According to the French ambassador, Biman’s earlier preference for Airbus was based on technical considerations, including the potential advantages of operating a mixed fleet, rather than political considerations.
The renewed diplomatic messaging highlights how Biman’s fleet expansion has evolved into a broader commercial and strategic issue. For Dhaka, the challenge is to assess aircraft requirements, fleet economics, and operational considerations while managing relationships with two major aviation powers.
The Airbus-Boeing competition therefore remains open, with Bangladesh navigating between competing commercial proposals and the wider diplomatic interests surrounding them.
