Biman Bangladesh Airlines remains in negotiations for four Airbus A350-900s and six A321neos, even after committing to 25 additional Boeing jets this year, according to the country's civil aviation and tourism ministry.

Civil aviation minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, briefing journalists on 29 September, said the government is working towards a sustainable mixed fleet for the flag-carrier. Fleet composition — the balance of widebody and narrowbody types — would be determined by passenger demand and the structure of Biman's network, he said.

The disclosure keeps alive an Airbus acquisition track that first surfaced three years ago. Biman had appeared to be in line for an Airbus fleet renewal following a UK-Bangladesh bilateral agreement that included the aviation sector. That partnership was reached under the tenure of Sheikh Hasina Wazed, who was forced from office the following year, and the Airbus momentum subsequently stalled.

Boeing has since locked in the carrier's near-term expansion. Earlier this year Biman agreed to purchase 14 Boeing jets — eight 787-10s, two 787-9s and four 737 Max 8s. It recently topped up that deal with five more 787-10s and six additional Max 8s, bringing the combined order to 25 aircraft.

Deliveries of the 25 additional aircraft are scheduled to begin in 2031. Millat said Biman has requested at least one aircraft in 2027-28, a timeline that would narrow a capacity gap the carrier faces as it pursues growth. The narrowbodies on order will replace Biman's older 737-800s.

The Airbus talks, if concluded, would mark a structural break for an operator whose jet fleet exclusively comprises Boeing models. A potential split fleet of A350-900s and 787s would carry dual-type operational and maintenance consequences for a carrier of Biman's scale — fewer than 20 aircraft — while the A321neo and 737 Max 8 would compete directly for the same narrowbody replacement mission.

The minister framed Biman's ambition by reference to Ethiopian Airlines. He pointed to the African operator's substantial fleet growth and noted that Bangladesh's GDP is higher than Ethiopia's, an argument Dhaka is using to justify a more aggressive expansion path for its flag-carrier.

For now, the Airbus discussion remains exactly that: a negotiation over four widebodies and six narrowbodies, with no order signed and no delivery dates attached. The certified, funded portion of Biman's fleet plan sits entirely with Boeing, anchored by the 25-aircraft commitment and a delivery stream that opens — as scheduled — in 2031, unless the carrier's request for a 2027-28 slot is met.

Whether the A350 and A321neo talks convert into a firm contract will test whether the government's mixed-fleet rhetoric reflects a genuine acquisition strategy or a negotiating posture alongside an already-substantial Boeing order book.