United News of Bangladesh

Airports are catalysts for a country's national trade, international trade, and tourism growth. During the 1971's liberation war, most of the infrastructure of the country was devastated, and airports were not different. Over the years, Bangladesh developed the infrastructure and facilities gradually to meet the demand of the time. Now Bangladesh has three international airports and 12 domestic airports. Of the 12 domestic airports, five of them are operational, three airports require prior approval for air operation, three airports don't operate anymore, and one airport is under construction in Khulna. Let's see the details of the operational airports, including international and domestic airports in Bangladesh. International Airports in Bangladesh Bangladesh has three international airports, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka; Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram and Osmani International Airport, Sylhet. Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka Located in Kurmitola, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is Bangladesh's largest and main international airport. This airport started its official operation in 1980 as Zia International Airport, which got its current name in 2010. Covering an area of 1,981 acres, the airport handles about 52% of the country's international and domestic flights. Further, the airport handles about 4 million international and 1 million domestic passengers and 150,000 tons of mail and cargo annually. Shahjalal International Airport helps connect Bangladesh with numerous important cities of the world. Biman Bangladesh Airlines goes to 16 cities in Europe and Asia from this airport. However, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is used as the home base of all airlines in Bangladesh, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, Regent Airways, United Airways. The average aircraft movement at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is 190 flights per day. The airport has two terminals, and a new terminal is underway, which is expected to be finished in 2022. It also has a cargo terminal that has a capacity of 200,000 per annum, which is planned to increase to 500,000 tons after the completion of the current renovation project. Read Cox’s Bazar airport expansion: Officials hope to get direct international flights by 2023 Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram Located in Chittagong, Shah Amanat International Airport is the 2nd biggest airport in Bangladesh. The airport handles about 21% of the country's passengers. The Bangladesh Air Force uses it as part of the BAF Zahurul Haq base. Previously, the airport was named M. A. MA Hannan International Airport, which was named after Awami League politician M. A. MA Hannan. Later, on 2 April 2005, the Bangladesh government renamed it after the 18th-century saint Shah Amanat. The airport is capable of carrying 1.5 million passengers and 6,000 tons of cargo annually. Further, it is also used as the base of Arirang Flying School, the largest pilot training center in the country based in South Korea. The airport is located on the banks of the river Karnafuli at Patenga in Chittagong, 20 km from the GEC junction in Chittagong city and 18.5 km from the Chittagong railway station. It consists of a 220,000 square feet passenger terminal for international and domestic passengers. It has a 29,063 square feet cargo terminal. Read World-class third terminal of Dhaka Airport to be visible by Dec: CAAB Osmani International Airport, Sylhet Osmani International Airport is one of the major and third-largest international airports in Bangladesh. It is located in Sylhet, a divisional city in the northeast corner of the country. It is located in the Barshal area, 5 miles (6 km) northeast of the main city of Sylhet. It is named after General Osmani, the great hero of the 1971 War of Independence. Before that, it was called Sylhet Airport. Direct flight to the United Kingdom and Dubai flies from this airport. Besides, flights are also operated on Dhaka-Sylhet, Sylhet-Chittagong, etc., routes within the country. The current passenger carrying capacity is 600,000 per annum, and it is expected to increase to 2 million after the completion of the current expansion started in 2020. Operational Domestic Airports in Bangladesh Bangladesh has several domestic airports, but the country has five operational airports. Further, there are three non-operational airports in Ishurdi, Comilla, and Thakurgaon. Three airports require prior approval for an air operation which includes Tejgaon Airport, Shamshernagar Airport, and Bogra Airport, and. However, the following part of the article will discuss the five operational airports in Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar Airport The Cox's Bazar airport was built by the then British government during World War II. It ceased to be used after the war and was abandoned for a long time. In 1956, the government of Pakistan reformed it and introduced it for commercial use. The airport was damaged during the 1971 liberation war. After the renovation, Bangladesh Biman started operating flights in 1972. It is located 1.5 kilometers away from Cox's Bazar City on 941 acres of land. Read Cox's Bazar Airport set to get a spectacular maritime runway Shah Makhdum Airport, Rajshahi The Shah Makhdum Airport was established in 1984 on 162 acres of land in Naohata, Rajshahi. The airport is located 64 feet (20 m) above sea level. It has only one runway, which is 6,600 feet and 98 feet wide. From its inception until mid-2006, the airport was in a profitable position. However, a renovation is going on to make the airport more efficient. Jashore Airport When the British government got involved in the Second World War in 1942, it started the construction of an airbase in Jessore. Within six months, an airport suitable for the British Air Force was opened. At present, the airport is used for domestic travel to Chittagong and the tourist city of Cox's Bazar and the capital Dhaka. Work is currently underway to expand the airport's international terminal and runway. Read PM inaugurates work on Cox's Bazar Airport’s runway upgradation Saidpur Airport Syedpur Airport is located in Syedpur, Bangladesh, Nilphamari District under Rangpur Division. It started the operation in 1979 on 136.59 acres of land. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh manages Saidpur Airport. The fights from here have a destination to Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, and Chittagong. Barisal Airport The airport was built in 1985 on 163 acres of land at the cost of Tk. 4 million. It has terminal buildings, 6,000 feet long and 100 feet wide runways, and boundary walls. Although Barisal Airport was built in 1985, it started operating in 1995. The airport handled 158,987 passengers between 1995 and 2009. The airport handled more than 20,000 flights, including passenger, training, cargo, and other aircraft. Read Man jumps from moving plane at Los Angeles airport Bottom Line So far we have mentioned the international airports in Bangladesh. We have also covered the functional domestic airports in Bangladesh. Apart from the airport mentioned above, a new airport, "Khan Jahan Ali Airport," is under construction in Bagerhat, Khulna. After completion, it is expected to be the third biggest airport. Although the plan for this airport was initiated in 1968, the new initiative was taken in 2011, and 536 acres of land were acquired. However, the progress of the construction is unknown.