Cox's Bazar Airport new terminal set to open next week
Cox's Bazar airport new terminal to open for domestic flights next week
The newly built terminal at Cox's Bazar airport will open for domestic passenger operations next week, ahead of planned international operations in October, marking a major step towards turning the tourism gateway into an international airport.
"From next week, the new terminal will be used for both arrivals and departures of domestic passengers," Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq said.
The CAAB chairman, who made a final preparatory visit to Cox's Bazar on Wednesday, said all domestic airlines operating at the airport had made the necessary preparations to shift their passenger-handling activities to the new terminal.
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Airlines will initially use golf carts to transport passengers between aircraft and the terminal building, he added.
"After starting domestic operations, we will inaugurate international operations next month from this airport," Siddiq said.
Director of Marketing and Sales at Novoair Sohail Majid said the airline had completed all preparations and successfully conducted a test run to operate from the new terminal for its passengers.
"We have made all the necessary preparations, including deploying golf carts to use the new terminal," he said.
The government is preparing to formally inaugurate Cox's Bazar as an international airport in October following massive investment in upgrading the facility, including the construction of the new terminal and extension of the runway into the Bay of Bengal.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat earlier expressed optimism that Biman Bangladesh Airlines, as well as foreign carriers, would eventually operate international flights from the beach city.
CAAB Member (Operations and Planning) Air Commodore Abu Sayeed Mehboob Khan told BSS that the terminal arrangement would switch to a hybrid system once international operations begin.
Under the planned arrangement, both arriving and departing international passengers will use the new terminal.
Domestic arriving passengers will then use the existing terminal, while departing domestic passengers will complete check-in formalities at the new terminal before proceeding to the old terminal to wait for boarding.
The new terminal forms part of a broader programme being implemented by CAAB under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to upgrade Cox's Bazar airport to international standards and make it capable of handling wide-body aircraft.
Currently one of Bangladesh's busiest domestic airports, Cox's Bazar handles an average of 28 to 30 passenger aircraft take-offs and landings daily.
CAAB has implemented two development projects and one technical project at the airport to expand its capacity and facilitate direct connectivity between the country's premier tourism destination and international markets.
The international passenger terminal, covering around 17,956 square metres, has been constructed under a project with an approved cost of approximately Taka 362.63 crore.
The terminal includes a departure lounge capable of accommodating 450 international passengers, a duty-free shop, boarding bridge, lifts, escalators, conveyor belts, check-in desks, departure and arrival immigration counters and an arrival lounge.
Four immigration desks have been installed for departing passengers and six for arriving passengers, while two baggage delivery belts have been provided for international arrivals.
PA and Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS), signage, CCTV and heavy hand-luggage scanning facilities have also been incorporated into the terminal.
The airport's annual passenger handling capacity is expected to rise from around 730,000 to 1.8 million following the expansion.
A 36,300-square-metre apron capable of accommodating two wide-body aircraft and three Dash-8 aircraft, along with two taxiways, has already been completed and incorporated into airport operations.
Parking facilities for 35 VIP and 90 general vehicles, internal roads and other supporting infrastructure are also included in the project.
The airport has also received ICAO certification following verification of the standards required for international operations.
Another major component of the transformation is the extension of the runway from 9,000 feet to 10,700 feet, making it the longest runway in Bangladesh.
Around 43 hectares of land have been reclaimed from the Bay of Bengal to extend the runway by 1,700 feet.
The extended runway is designed to accommodate fully loaded wide-body aircraft, including Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
The runway extension project has an approved cost of Tk 3,709.61 crore, while the contract value is Tk 1,794.31 crore. Chinese joint venture CYWEB-CCECC JV has implemented the project.
The project also includes around 2,200 feet of precision approach lighting extending into the sea and installation of a CAT-II Airfield Ground Lighting system to facilitate safe aircraft operations.
A 1.89-kilometre protective embankment has been constructed to protect the runway from cyclones, storm surges and other natural disasters, while security fencing, patrol roads and an 8,149-metre drainage system are also part of the project.
The government expects direct international air connectivity to help attract more foreign tourists and stimulate investment in hotels, resorts and other tourism-related businesses in Cox's Bazar.
