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CANADA-PROPOSAL-PLANE
Bangladesh to buy more bombardier aircraft, if gets fair offer
DHAKA, Jan 2, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today showed interest to buy two more narrow body Dash Q400 turboprops aircraft from Canadian Bombardier Inc and asked Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) to send a formal proposal with fair price in this regard.
Bangladesh made the directive as Canada government’s trade body offered to sell two more 74-seater narrow-body plane after delivering the ordered three brand new same modelled short-haul planes to state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines this year.
These was discussed today while a Canadian delegation led by Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka held a meeting with State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali and Senior secretary of the ministry M Mohibul Haque at secretariat here.
The delegation also comprised with CCC director of Asian region Yvonee Chin informed that Bombardier Inc would be able to deliver two more Dash Q400 aircraft by 2021, if Bangladesh agrees to purchase.
“We would like to buy more short-haul aircraft for our domestic routes. So we tell them (CCC) to give us formal proposal … if we get fare price, we are positive to buy two more planes from them,” Haque told BSS after the meeting.
The civil aviation and tourism secretary said the government will try to negotiate to purchase two Dash aircraft in lower price than the rate of three ordered same modeled planes.
“If we buy from them (bombardier), we will go for either lower or same price of the ordered planes … definitely not more than those (three purchased Dash Q400),” he added.
On August 1 in 2018, Bangladesh purchased three Dash Q400 aircraft from Canada under G2G (government-to-government) agreement. Bombardier is scheduled to deliver the three single-aisle plane each to Biman in March, May and June in 2020.
Based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, the order is valued at approximately US$106 million, Bombardier said in a statement after signing purchase agreement with Bangladesh though both the Bombardier and Biman didn’t disclose the actual deal price.
“As per the agreement, the airlines are obliged not to disclose actual price of any deal in case of purchasing brand new planes … but what I can say, we had purchased the three Q400 in much less than the list price,” he said.
During the meeting, Bangladesh also sought Canadian cooperation in starting Biman’s flight operation between Dhaka and Toronto, ministry official said. The Canadian delegation assured that Canada will provide ‘fifth freedom’ to Biman Bangladesh airlines on its proposed new route on Dhaka-Manchester-Toronto and Dhaka-Rome-Toronto.
The fifth freedom is the right to carry passengers from one’s own country to a second country and from that country onward to a third country.
The Canadian envoy also expressed keen interest to work with Bangladesh under bilateral cooperation for further development of the country’s tourism industry.
BSS/ASG/TA/MMA/1717hrs