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Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia has confirmed plans to operate direct flights between Cox’s Bazar and Penang, marking a major step towards establishing international air connectivity for Bangladesh’s premier beach destination.
“AirAsia has confirmed that it will operate direct flights to Cox’s Bazar,” Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Thursday.
He said the proposed service would connect Cox’s Bazar with Penang in Malaysia.
The development comes as the government prepares to formally inaugurate Cox’s Bazar International Airport this month, with plans to attract foreign airlines and establish direct international connections from the country’s leading tourist destination.
“Alongside Biman Bangladesh Airlines, different international airlines will also operate flights from Cox’s Bazar International Airport,” the minister said.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to formally inaugurate the airport.
Millat said the government was also working on several other international routes, particularly connecting Cox’s Bazar with major regional and landlocked cities, to turn the coastal city into a regional tourism and aviation hub.
“We are planning to commence direct flights on the Cox’s Bazar-Kathmandu-Cox’s Bazar route,” he said.
The government is also working to establish direct air connectivity between Cox’s Bazar and Kunming in China’s Yunnan province, he said, with the aim of attracting tourists from southwestern and inland parts of China.
The minister said the government was further exploring direct air links between Cox’s Bazar and destinations in the Middle East to attract more tourists from the region.
The proposed routes are part of a broader government strategy to transform Cox’s Bazar into an international tourism gateway and reduce its reliance on domestic visitors.
However, the minister did not specify when AirAsia would launch the Cox’s Bazar-Penang service or disclose the proposed flight frequency.
