Int’l flight operations at Cox’s Bazar Airport to commence in July

Dhaka: Cox’s Bazar Airport is on its way to become Bangladesh’s fourth international gateway from this July, according to Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

In an effort to commence international flight operations in the prime tourist spot of the country that hails the world’s longest unbroken sea beach, CAAB is currently preparing necessary facilities including immigration and customs procedures at the airport.

The move was confirmed on April 21 during a coordination meeting chaired by CAAB Chairman Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan, attended by key stakeholders including representatives from Biman Bangladesh Airlines, immigration police, customs authorities, and the Airline Operators Committee.

“We will be fully ready to operate international flights by narrow-bodied aircraft from Cox’s Bazar this July,” said a senior CAAB official to the media after the meeting. “Biman has already been instructed to prepare for launching international routes from the airport,” he added.  

The transformation of Cox’s Bazar Airport into an international facility is part of a comprehensive development project launched in 2021. The project encompasses the extension of the existing runway and the construction of a new terminal building, enabling round-the-clock flight operations.

CAAB officials said that by July, the runway extension—an additional 1,700 feet built into the Bay of Bengal—will be complete, bringing the total runway length to 10,700 feet (3.26 km). Once completed, it will be the longest runway in Bangladesh, they claimed.  

Initially, international flights will operate from the current terminal building on an ad-hoc basis. The new state-of-the-art international terminal is expected to be completed later, and it will be capable of handling all kinds of wide-bodied aircraft, further informed CAAB officials.

“We are conducting continuous inspections on the runway, lighting system, protection embankments, and terminal infrastructure to ensure operational readiness,” said CAAB Chairman Bhuiyan.

Earlier, on April 18, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus visited the under-construction airport to inspect the project's progress.

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