Cox’s Bazar airport upgrade nears completion

Dhaka: Cox’s Bazar Airport is approaching a major upgrade, with infrastructure work expected to be completed in the coming months and the facility preparing to accommodate larger aircraft and international services.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh data show the new passenger terminal was 98.97 percent complete by the end of August, while the runway expansion had reached 91.65 percent.

The BDT 3.62 billion terminal covers nearly 17,956 square meters and includes international departure and arrival areas, immigration facilities, security systems, boarding bridges, check-in counters, escalators and baggage conveyors. Completion is scheduled for December.

Meanwhile, the airport’s runway is being extended from 9,000 feet to 10,700 feet through land reclamation from the sea. The longer runway is expected to support wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER and 747-400, while increasing capacity for passenger and cargo operations.

CAAB expects the upgraded airport to be ready for international flights and larger aircraft by late October, subject to the remaining work progressing as planned.

A separate feasibility and design project is examining a larger second-phase development that could turn Cox’s Bazar into an international aviation hub, with expanded terminals, cargo facilities, a parallel taxiway, training center and other infrastructure.

The airport currently handles about 28 to 30 domestic passenger flights each day.