London: European aircraft manufacturing company Airbus and British aviation giant Menzies Aviation have expressed their eagerness to build a long-term partnership with Bangladesh. The two companies made their intentions known as Airbus Executive Vice President Wouter van Wersch and Menzies Aviation Executive Vice President Charles Wyley met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during separate visits at his hotel in London.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, van Wersch highlighted that Bangladesh has been identified as a key priority country for Airbus. The company is keen on establishing a partnership with Biman Bangladesh Airlines to enhance its profitability. Airbus, which supplies 800 aircraft annually, also holds expertise in manufacturing helicopters and fighter jets. Van Wersch indicated that if Bangladesh opts to include Airbus in the Biman fleet, 85 percent of the funding could be secured through Export Credit Agency financing.
The Chief Adviser expressed Bangladesh’s openness to modernizing the Biman fleet, emphasizing that the decision would require careful consideration. “I am very eager to understand what can be done, what should be done. So, we will listen to you. But don’t expect any decision soon. We have to look at everything in a very fresh way,” he stated.
Menzies Aviation, based in London, also conveyed a strong interest in partnering with Bangladesh. The company is willing to compete for the provision of ground handling and air cargo services at the third terminal of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Menzies, which currently serves more than 300 airports in at least 65 countries, sees potential in supporting Bangladeshi airports alongside the national carrier.
Wyley remarked that if Menzies were entrusted with ground handling tasks, Dhaka could become a training hub for part of its 65,000 employees worldwide. “We are a proven British company, and we would like to offer our support,” Wyley affirmed.