Jamil flies to US to finalise deal on purchase of 10 Boeing planes

A three-member high-powered delegation yesterday flew to USA to finalise the deal signed earlier to purchase 10 new aircraft for Biman from US plane maker Boeing.
The delegation led by Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Mahbub Jamil will also work on restoring the Dhaka-New York flight, which has been suspended since 2006 due to heavy loss incurred by Biman, the national flag carrier.
Biman on April 22 signed the deal with Boeing to buy eight new-generation aircraft -- four 777-300ER and four 787-8 -- at a cost of $1.26 billion (Tk 8,728 crore).
The deal includes an option on the purchasing rights of buying four more planes -- two 777-300ER and two 787-8.
The same day the national flag carrier also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the plane maker to buy two 737-800 aircraft. The MoU also has the option on the purchasing rights of buying two more 737-800.
The other two members of the delegation are Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari, member of Biman's Board of Directors, and Dr MA Momen, managing director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd.
The Boeing authorities have invited Mahbub Jamil as the chairman of Biman's Board of Directors to attend a function for finalising the deal in Washington DC.
The State Department of US is likely to arrange the ceremony on June 25, said a government press release.
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, officials of US Chamber of Commerce and US-based Exim Bank, among others, will be present at the ceremony.
This is the first time Biman independently decided to buy aircraft without any political and government interference since its inception in 1972. Biman became a public limited company in July last year.