State-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines has invited fresh bids to dry-lease three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for six years after receiving a poor response to an earlier tender.

Biman issued the new Request for Proposal (RFP) on August 10, with the deadline for submission set for 10 am on August 25, according to the airline’s Corporate Planning Department.

The national flag carrier had floated the previous tender on July 15, with August 9 set as the deadline for bids.

Under the new RFP, Biman is seeking three Boeing 787-9s for a 72-month lease, with immediate induction preferred. The aircraft are to be delivered by January 1, 2027. Aircraft available for delivery by February 28, 2027, will also be considered during the technical evaluation.

Under a dry lease arrangement, the lessor provides the aircraft while the airline is responsible for its operation, including pilots, cabin crew, maintenance and insurance.

The aircraft must not be more than 15 years old as of June 30, 2027, and must be powered by GEnx-1B74/75 engines with a maximum take-off weight of 254,000 kg. Biman will give preference to sister aircraft offered by the same lessor.

Each aircraft must have a two-class configuration with more than 300 seats. Business Class must have 180-degree full-flat seats, while Economy Class must offer at least a 31-inch seat pitch. All seats must be new.

The aircraft must be delivered in fully operational condition with valid Certificates of Airworthiness and Registration and immediately after a fresh C-check.

Biman has also specified that major scheduled maintenance, including heavy maintenance checks and landing gear overhauls, should not fall due during the first 24 months of the lease.

The aircraft must be painted in Biman’s official livery at the lessor’s expense and based at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

The RFP also requires modern avionics and safety systems, including Engine Health Monitoring, Aircraft Health Monitoring, Flight Data Monitoring, upgraded flight recorders, TCAS Version 7.1, ACARS, Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems, satellite communications and GPS/GNSS navigation.

The aircraft must comply with applicable regulations of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

Biman expects each aircraft to operate around 4,000 flight hours a year.

Financial proposals must separately state monthly lease rentals, maintenance reserves for major components and security deposits.

Technical criteria will carry 25% of the evaluation weight, while financial viability will account for 75%, based on the Net Present Value of cash flows over the 72-month lease period.

Technically responsive bidders will subsequently enter into negotiations with Biman in Dhaka. The airline has reserved the right to accept or reject any or all proposals without assigning any reason.

Biman currently operates a fleet of 19 aircraft, comprising four Boeing 777-300ERs, four Boeing 787-8s, two Boeing 787-9s, four Boeing 737s and five Dash 8-400s.

The airline began modernising its fleet with new-generation aircraft after signing agreements with Boeing in April and May 2008 to purchase four 777-300ERs, four 787-8s and two 737-800s.

The four 777-300ERs joined the fleet between October 2011 and March 2014, while the 737-800s were inducted in 2015 and 2019. Four Boeing 787-8s joined the fleet between 2018 and 2019.

Biman also acquired three Dash 8 aircraft under a government-to-government agreement between Bangladesh and Canada. The aircraft joined the fleet in December 2020, February 2021 and March 2021.