Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to dry lease three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft for a 72-month term, seeking interim widebody capacity ahead of new aircraft deliveries scheduled for the next decade.

The tender document, published on July 15, 2026, outlines a target delivery window between January 1 and February 28, 2027. The procurement is part of a broader strategy to lease up to 10 aircraft by 2027 to support international network expansion while the carrier awaits 14 newly ordered Boeing jets that will not begin arriving until 2031.

Technical specifications and lease requirements

The RFP mandates strict operational and maintenance parameters for the incoming Boeing 787-9 airframes. Proposals must be submitted by August 9, 2026. According to the official tender document, the required aircraft specifications include:

• A maximum age of 15 years as of June 30, 2027.
• A Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) of at least 254 tonnes.
• A minimum capacity of 300 passenger seats in a two-class configuration.
• A maintenance clearance ensuring no major scheduled maintenance, including heavy checks or landing gear overhauls, is due during the first 24 months of the lease.

Fleet expansion and transparency initiatives

The dry lease of the three widebody aircraft serves as a bridge solution following Biman’s April 30, 2026, order for 14 new Boeing aircraft, which includes 787-9s, 787-10s, and 737 MAX 8s. Because those factory-fresh airframes are scheduled for Delivery between 2031 and 2035, the Airlines requires immediate capacity to execute its near-term route strategy.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat confirmed the scope of the interim fleet plan in a statement reported by Prothom Alo English on July 19, 2026. Millat noted that the airline plans to lease up to 10 aircraft within the year to increase flight frequencies on existing international routes and launch services to new destinations.

To manage the procurement, the government is implementing new oversight measures.

“We want to ensure that the leasing process is conducted with complete transparency,” Millat said, according to Prothom Alo English. “To that end, we have initiated the appointment of an international consultant. Around 40 applications have been received, and a qualified firm will be selected from among them to oversee the entire leasing process.”

Potential lessors and market context

As Biman seeks available 787-9 airframes, Norse Atlantic Airways (N0) has emerged as a potential supplier. On August 14, 2026, Bloomberg News reported that the Norwegian low-cost carrier is in negotiations to lease out up to six of its Boeing 787-9s to Biman and Pakistan International Airlines (PK).

The discussions follow the termination of a damp lease agreement Norse previously held with IndiGo (6E). Bloomberg reported that Norse is looking to place the excess widebody capacity with the South Asian carriers.

AirPro News analysis

We view Biman’s RFP as a necessary operational bridge, but securing favorable dry lease terms for Boeing 787-9s in the current constrained widebody market presents a challenge. The negotiations with Norse Atlantic Airways highlight a potential mismatch in lease structures that will need resolution. Biman’s tender explicitly requests a dry lease, where the lessor provides only the aircraft and the lessee supplies the crew. Norse has historically engaged in wet or damp leasing, providing crew and maintenance alongside the airframe. If Norse is to fulfill Biman’s RFP requirements, the Norwegian carrier will need to transition these specific airframes to a strict dry lease arrangement.

Sources: Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Prothom Alo English, Bloomberg News

Google LLC has won a bankruptcy auction to acquire the deidentified enterprise data of defunct carrier Spirit Airlines for $10 million, securing decades of operational history to train its artificial intelligence models.

The transaction, detailed in an August 14 filing with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, transfers millions of internal communications and software code to the technology company. The sale highlights an emerging market where artificial intelligence developers purchase the digital archives of liquidated businesses to access proprietary operational data.

The bankruptcy auction and data scope

The virtual auction took place on August 14, 2026, overseen by PJT Partners LP, the investment bank representing Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc. Google secured the winning bid of $10 million. Artificial intelligence data firm Mercor.io Corporation was selected as the alternate bidder with an offer of $7.5 million, according to reporting by Reuters.

The acquired dataset encompasses a vast archive of the airline’s internal operations. According to ePlaneAI, the purchase includes approximately 100 million company emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, and 30 million lines of custom software code.

The sale agreement mandates strict exclusion of personally identifiable information. A third party must rigorously scrub the data before Google takes possession. Gizmodo and ePlaneAI report that 97.5 million passenger profiles and 50.2 million Free Spirit loyalty program records are explicitly excluded from the transaction.

A Google spokesperson confirmed the acquisition to 9to5Google, stating the enterprise dataset will help improve the company’s products and artificial intelligence models. Speaking to Business Insider, the spokesperson clarified the boundaries of the purchase.

“We are buying the company’s internal data and custom software, but we are not buying their customer or credit card information,” the Google spokesperson told Business Insider.

Mercor.io Corporation also commented on the strategic value of such acquisitions. A company spokesperson told Business Insider that corporate records demonstrate how real work gets done, making operational data highly valuable for training and evaluating artificial intelligence.

Spirit Airlines liquidation and industry context

Spirit Airlines officially ceased all flight operations on May 2, 2026, following its failure to emerge from a second Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. The carrier originally filed for bankruptcy protection on August 29, 2025, citing insurmountable debt and rising fuel costs.

Restructuring advisors are currently liquidating the remaining assets of the ultra-low-cost carrier. Recent transactions include the sale of 22 takeoff and landing slots at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to JetBlue Airways for $58.5 million, as reported by ePlaneAI.

A court hearing to formally approve the data sale to Google is scheduled for August 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. before United States Bankruptcy Judge Sean H. Lane.

AirPro News analysis

We view this transaction as a significant indicator of how aviation data is being monetized outside traditional industry boundaries. As public internet data becomes exhausted for artificial intelligence training, technology companies are turning to the proprietary archives of bankrupt enterprises.

An airline’s internal communications and operational data provide highly structured examples of complex logistical problem-solving, crew scheduling, and maintenance routing. By acquiring Spirit’s deidentified data, Google gains access to decades of real-world operational scenarios that can be used to train models in supply chain management and enterprise logistics. This establishes a precedent for future aviation bankruptcies, where a carrier’s digital footprint may hold substantial liquidation value alongside its physical assets and airport slots.

Sources: United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York

American Airlines Group Inc. and Texas Christian University (TCU) released an independent analysis on August 17, 2026, revealing that the airline’s hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) supports approximately $70 billion in annual economic output across North America.

The study, conducted by the TCU Center for Supply Chain Innovation in the Neeley School of Business and detailed in a company press release, quantifies the carrier’s role as a primary economic engine for the region. The findings highlight how the hub drives corporate relocations, sustains hundreds of thousands of jobs, and positions the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area as a highly competitive global market.

Economic footprint and job creation

The analysis estimates that American Airlines’ operations at DFW support between 345,000 and 357,000 jobs throughout the North Texas region. This employment base generates an estimated $22.5 billion to $23.3 billion in personal income flowing to local households. American Airlines directly employs 37,000 team members in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“For decades, North Texas has grown alongside our DFW hub, and this study demonstrates just how deeply interconnected our shared success has become,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stated. He noted that connecting the region to global destinations helps attract investment and strengthen local businesses.

Operational scale and future infrastructure

American Airlines moves 69 million passengers through DFW annually, accounting for 82% of the airport’s commercial passenger traffic. The carrier offers flights to 230 destinations across 30 countries from the hub and serves 23 airports within Texas, the highest number of any commercial airline in the state.

The economic impact is projected to grow with the ongoing construction of Terminal F. According to data from The Perryman Group cited in the release, the new terminal will generate an additional $6.1 billion in regional gross product at maturity and create 55,000 job-years. American Airlines holds a use-and-lease agreement for the facility extending through 2043.

Corporate migration and academic partnerships

The extensive connectivity provided by the DFW hub has been a catalyst for corporate growth in North Texas. The region has attracted 100 headquarters relocations since 2018, leading all United States metropolitan areas in corporate migration.

TCU Chancellor Daniel W. Pullin emphasized the airline’s status as a defining institution for North Texas. Pullin highlighted the university’s upcoming aviation programs, which will train future industry professionals near the airline’s global headquarters.

“This study reflects what TCU does best, bringing an independent eye to questions that matter to our region,” Pullin said. “Fort Worth-based American Airlines is one of North Texas’ defining institutions, and understanding the full scope of its impact helps all of us build on the momentum that has propelled Dallas-Fort Worth forward.”

AirPro News analysis

We view the release of this economic impact study as a strategic reinforcement of American Airlines’ negotiating position and civic standing in North Texas, particularly as major infrastructure investments like Terminal F proceed. By quantifying its $70 billion footprint, the carrier effectively reminds local municipalities, airport authorities, and state regulators of its indispensable role in the region’s rapid corporate expansion. The emphasis on the 100 headquarters relocations since 2018 specifically links the airline’s network strategy to the broader economic success of Dallas-Fort Worth, framing the airline not just as a tenant, but as the foundational infrastructure enabling that growth.

Sources: American Airlines