Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman has said that the expansion and modernization works of all 8 airports – international and domestic – in the country, involving Tk 35,850 crore, will be completed by the end of the current year. “Once the work is completed, there will be major changes in infrastructures of the airports. All the airports will be equipped with modern amenities, and they will get an attractive look,” the CAAB chief told UNB in an exclusive interview recently. Work is going on in full swing to implement the projects as per the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, adding that the engineers of CAAB worked round the clock even during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have ensured the quality of the work and maintained European standard in terms of equipment and safety materials,” he added. “More than 70 percent work of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka has been completed and the operational activities of the new terminal will be inaugurated in October this year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the third terminal,” he said. Read more: Domestic airports are getting face-lift to offer quality services to passengers: CAAB “After completion of the third terminal, passenger handling capacity at Dhaka airport will increase from 10 million to 22 million. Besides, cargo handling capacity will rise from 2.20 lakh ton to 7 lakh ton,” the CAAB chairman added. He said that passengers will be able to avail international standard services once the third terminal opens. Construction work of 73,548 square meter cargo apron of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is now underway. Eighty-five percent of the project has been completed and after implementation, the apron will be able to park additional 4 long-range cargo aircraft. Read more: World-class third terminal of Dhaka Airport to be visible by Dec: CAAB Besides, the construction of general aviation hangar, hangar apron and fire station expansion project at Dhaka airport, at a cost of Tk 430 crore, is on.

After nearly 21 hours, flight operations at Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and Barishal airports resumed Tuesday (Oct 25, 2022) at noon. The Civil Aviation Authority issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday. Earlier, flight services to and from the airports were suspended at 3 pm on Monday due to cyclone Sitrang. Read Cyclone Sitrang: Flight operations at Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Barishal airports suspended As a result, several flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US Bangla and NOVOAIR on domestic routes were cancelled. Meanwhile, inland water transport operations resumed this morning after being suspended for around 24 hours due to inclement weather caused by cyclone Sitrang. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has ordered the resumption of vessel operations from 9.45am as all the riverine ports now come under local cautionary signal number 1, said BIWTA public relations officer Mobarak Hossain. Read Cyclone Sitrang: Dhaka-Khulna & Dhaka-Barishal highways reopen after 10 hours Cyclone Sitrang moved north-northeastwards very fast and and now lies over Dhaka-Cumilla-Brahmanbaria and adjoining areas as a land depression, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

As the work on the expansion of Cox's Bazar Airport runway gains momentum, officials involved with the project hope to get it ready for direct international flights by 2023, almost a year before the schedule. “The runway expansion work is going on really fast,” director of the project Yunus Bhuiyan told UNB in a recent interview. “Although the project is scheduled to be completed in May 2024, our target is to complete the work by November 2023,” he said. Read World-class third terminal of Dhaka Airport to be visible by Dec: CAAB Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Air Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman said that Cox's Bazar will have an international standard airport once the runway expansion work is completed. He said Cox's Bazar airport is going to find a place in the list of world's most beautiful airports. Tourists from different parts of the world can come directly to the tourist centres of the region. “Pretty soon it would turn into an international airport. New generation Boeing 777-300 ER, B-747, Airbus and other big planes will be able to take off at this airport. This would create a regional aviation hub at the airport,” he noted.  Read PM inaugurates work on Cox's Bazar Airport’s runway upgradation The runway will be expanded to 10,700 feet to become the longest runway in Bangladesh after the expansion project is completed. And 1,300 feet of the runway will run into the sea. As part of the renovation the authorities have already completed construction of a new terminal building, increased supply of power, installation of airfield ground lighting system and other works   Sea sand filling work is underway near Sonadia Island in Maheshkhali, work on the terminal building inside the airport is nearly completed. Infrastructure and casting work on the terminal building has already been completed; finishing works will be done soon. Besides, the old terminal building is being repaired. Read Cox's Bazar Airport set to get a spectacular maritime runway