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Domestic flight operations will begin at the newly built international terminal of Cox’s Bazar International Airport from Monday, September 28, following instructions from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Airport Director Md Golam Mortoza Hossain asked all airport departments and airlines to shift their operations to the new terminal from Monday in a letter issued on Thursday.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, Novoair and Air Astra, among other carriers, have been instructed to operate from the new facility.
US-Bangla Airlines General Manager (Public Relations) Kamrul Islam welcomed the move, saying the new terminal has modern facilities that passengers and airlines had long been seeking.
Novoair Managing Director Mofizur Rahman said airlines had discussed the decision but questioned a directive requiring Novoair and Air Astra to share check-in counters.
Airport Director Mortoza said the arrangement would not create any problem, noting that the terminal has 14 check-in counters and airlines could use separate counters if required.
He said preparations for the new terminal were almost complete.
The airport modernisation project, launched in 2018 under a government master plan, aims to transform Cox’s Bazar into an international aviation hub and support tourism in the country’s premier tourist destination.
A major component of the project was extending the airport runway into the sea. Around 1,700 feet of sea was reclaimed and added to the runway, extending it from 9,000 feet to 10,700 feet — longer than the runway at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The runway expansion project was formally inaugurated in August 2021, with the project cost estimated at between Tk15.68 billion and Tk18.68 billion.
The modernisation project also includes the new terminal building with international-standard facilities and aviation infrastructure.
The extended runway is designed to allow wide-body aircraft, including Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 747-400 and Airbus aircraft, to operate at the airport.
The start of domestic operations from the new terminal marks a significant step towards Cox’s Bazar’s transition into a full-fledged international airport.
