Staff correspondent:

European major airline Airbus wants to operate in Bangladesh for a long time. Originally a consortium of inter-European companies, this aircraft manufacturer is soon going to add 10 high-end aircraft to the fleet of the national airline of Bangladesh – Bangladesh Bimane.
Recently, when a group of Bangladeshi journalists visited the headquarters of Airbus in Toulouse, France, the chief representative of Airbus in Bangladesh, Morad Boro-Fala, said, “We see unprecedented potential in the aviation sector in Bangladesh.” The Airbus representative said that the aviation sector market in Bangladesh has not yet been fully exploited. So their company decided to invest in this country. “We believe in Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and we want to be a part of it,” he said.  
He said, in line with Dhaka’s dream of becoming a regional aviation hub, Airbus wants to help Bangladesh build an air transport ecosystem with new generation aircraft and skilled air crews. At that time, Airbus Marketing Vice President Antonio de Costa and Wide-body Market Development Manager Juan Camilo Rodríguez were with Boro-Fala to brief Bangladeshi journalists in Toulouse, which is considered the capital of space in Europe. Their briefing comes at a time when Bangladesh is in talks with the European aircraft manufacturer for the sale of 10 long-range A350 aircraft, including two freighters. 
The first flight of the Airbus A350 model took place on 14 June 2013. Over the last 10 years, this European aircraft manufacturer has delivered 552 A350 aircraft, which have operated on 1,711 routes. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Dhaka last month and praised Bangladesh’s interest in purchasing Airbus aircraft, saying, “I thank you for your trust in the European aviation industry and the commitment to 10 A350 Airbus is also important. 
” Biman Bangladesh has a fleet of 21 aircraft – most of which are Boeing aircraft, the archrival of Airbus in the US. The aircraft in the fleet include four Boeing 777-300 ERs, four Boeing 787-8s, two Boeing 787-9s, six Boeing 737s and five Canadian-made Dash 8-400s.
Morad said, “The way we see Bangladesh today, it’s not just about the transactional mentality, that we will sell something and leave the country. Rather, Airbus is also ready to build a strong human resource in Bangladesh through proper training of skilled pilots and maintenance crews.” He said, Airbus is already cooperating with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University to develop talented staff. Airbus executives added that their company is now ready to provide its expertise and know-how to install Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) digital solutions and contribute to the prosperity of Bangladesh’s aviation sector. The company now wants to facilitate closer cooperation between the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) in the areas of regulation, flight safety, training and certification.   
Morad said Airbus has already offered support to Bangladeshi operators for maintenance and flight operations as well as advanced air traffic management solutions for optimal performance and efficiency. He said, despite the huge potential, aviation shortage in Bangladesh has largely stalled the growth of aviation and exploration of new routes. Bangladesh’s own airlines currently carry less than 25 percent of international passengers, with foreign airlines carrying the remaining international passengers.   
Rodríguez presented a comparative study on the potential of aviation, taking into account the size of GDP and the number of air travelers in different countries. He said, Airbus research showed that by 2031, air travelers in Bangladesh will double as compared to 2019.   
State-run and private airlines now jointly operate 36 aircraft with 10 supercars, Bangladesh’s GDP is worth US$416 billion, and 7.5 million expatriate Bangladeshis live around the world. Additionally, the Airbus survey showed that Vietnam has a total of 187 aircraft, including 35 long-range aircraft. Another Airbus study called Global Market Forecast predicts that Bangladesh will need 105 short-range and 55 long-range aircraft by 2042 to meet its growing air travel needs. 
To be noted, a joint manifesto was signed in London last May between Lord Dominic Johnson, Minister of State for Business and Commerce of the United Kingdom and Salman F. Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, aiming to establish an aviation and commercial partnership for the development of Bangladesh’s aviation sector.