Menzies offers $12m investment if awarded Dhaka airport contract

UK-based Menzies Aviation plans to invest $12 million in the first year and create more than 1,000 direct jobs if selected as the second passenger-handling operator at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal in Dhaka.

The company said its operations could also generate more than 4,500 indirect jobs across Bangladesh’s wider economy and supply chain.

Menzies officials outlined the investment and employment plans at a press conference at a Dhaka hotel on Thursday.

The company is competing with several international ground-handling firms for the passenger-handling contract, including Çelebi Aviation, dnata, Swissport and SATS.

Charles Wiley, executive vice president for the Middle East, Africa and Asia at Menzies Aviation, and John Henderson, senior vice president of operations for the Middle East and Africa, spoke at the event. Shakib Ershad, trade and investment director at the British High Commission in Dhaka, also attended.

Menzies said the proposed investment would cover airport operations, workforce development and initiatives to strengthen Bangladesh’s local aviation capabilities.

The company plans to establish a Menzies Training Academy in Dhaka to provide international-standard aviation training and create long-term career opportunities for Bangladeshi nationals.

It also plans to work with local universities, colleges and schools to develop aviation-related academic programmes, internships and graduate career pathways.

The company said it also intends to locally source and manufacture uniforms, potentially creating new business opportunities for Bangladesh’s textile and apparel sector and increasing local participation in its supply chain.

Menzies said local recruitment, professional training, leadership development and long-term knowledge transfer would help build a sustainable aviation workforce in Bangladesh.

The company also said the proposed investment could strengthen Bangladesh-UK trade and investment ties while creating opportunities for skills and knowledge exchange.

The addition of a second passenger-handling operator at the third terminal is expected to increase competition and improve the quality of ground-handling services.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has set a target to begin partial operations at the third terminal by December 16 this year.