DHAKA, May 10, 2023 (BSS) - Boeing has been engaged in a continuous discussion with Bangladeshi airlines while the US-based plane manufacturer company fears to lose its market share in Bangladesh as local carriers decided to add aircraft from its archrival Airbus.  
 
"We are in a continuous discussion and engagement with airline companies in Bangladesh, including Biman," Boeing commercial marketing managing director for Asia Pacific and India Dave Schulte said at a press briefing at a city hotel today. 
 
Boeing held the briefing while long-time Boeing customer national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines has recently in principle decided to purchase up to ten new planes from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
 
Currently, out of 21 aircrafts, Biman has 16 Boeing planes - four 777-300 ER, four 787-8, two Boeing 787-9, six 737-800 and five Dash-8 Q400 turboprops from Canadian bombardier. 
 
Besides, the Boeing dominated fleet of the private US-Bangla airlines is also set to add Airbus A330 aircraft while the other private carrier Novoair has the plan to add Airbus planes to its current turboprop fleet. 

When asked why Boeing is losing its market share in Bangladesh, Schulte, without giving any specific answer, said that Boeing is looking to engage more with Bangladesh in the days to come. 

Replying to another question, Boeing regional marketing boss claimed, a complex fleet will add investment and maintenance cost to any airline to manage spare parts and to train new set of pilots.  

 
Boeing, he said, has forecasted that air travel in Bangladesh would be doubled in the next 10 years driven by the country's growing population, expanding economy and size of middle class population. 
 
"Led by regional traffic to the Middle East and India, Bangladesh's air travel is forecast to double over the next 10 years," Schulte said. 
 
As travel restrictions were relaxed over the past year, capacity growth in Bangladesh has increased by 11% year-over-year, he added. 
 
He also hoped that the strong Bangladesh economy would fuel air-traffic growth at nearly 8.5 percent annually through 2032. 
 
As per Boeing Commercial Market outlook (CMO), Schulte said, his company anticipated South Asia's carriers will need around 2,300 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years, more than tripling South Asia's current in-service fleet of 700 airplanes to meet strong demand in passenger travel and air cargo. 
 
"We see tremendous opportunity in South Asia, with more than 80% of new deliveries supporting air-travel growth and 20% replacing older, less fuel-efficient airplanes," he said. 
 
Single-aisle airplanes like the Boeing 737 family will make up nearly 90 percent of South Asia's future fleet, while 10 percent of the regional fleet will be wide-body airplanes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as both airplane models are currently in operation with the Bangladesh's national flag carrier Biman and US Bangla airlines.
 
Earlier this week, a Joint Communiqué was signed between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK) in for the necessary cooperation in the development of Bangladesh's aviation sector, including the purchase of passenger and cargo aircrafts from Airbus as two nations aiming to establish an 'Aviation Partnership'.
 
Bangladesh Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman and UK's Investment Minister Lord Dominic Johnson signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides in London.