Play store
The newly modernised Cox’s Bazar International Airport is scheduled for formal inauguration in November as the government moves to introduce international scheduled flights and boost the coastal resort town’s tourism potential.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat announced the plan on Monday at a consultative meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka to discuss preparations for launching international services.
Chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Fahmida Akhter, the meeting brought together aviation regulators and representatives of domestic and international airlines to review regulatory requirements, operational arrangements and flight slot allocations.
The minister said direct international air links would help transform Cox’s Bazar into a major tourism destination by allowing foreign visitors to reach the coastal town without travelling through other domestic airports.
He highlighted the geographical proximity between Cox’s Bazar and Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan Province, saying direct flights could offer commercial opportunities for Chinese carriers, including China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
Low-cost carrier AirAsia is preparing to launch direct flights between Penang and Cox’s Bazar, while Dubai-based Flydubai has expressed interest in operating a route connecting Cox’s Bazar, Bangkok and Dubai, according to the minister.
The government is also considering financial and operational incentives to encourage airlines to introduce scheduled services on the proposed routes.
Earlier, during a media briefing, the minister discussed the impact of a recent security incident at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which disrupted international air operations.
He said the disruption had forced the cancellation of 10 flights from Dhaka, affecting more than 3,400 passengers travelling to the Middle East. Aviation and immigration authorities have been instructed to follow contingency measures to assist stranded passengers and clear the backlog once operations at overseas terminals return to normal.
The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Kaizar Sohel Ahmed, and senior civil aviation officials and airline executives.
