Int'l flights to take off despite terminal woes, capacity crunch

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) plans to launch international flights at Cox's Bazar Airport in July despite the new terminal for international passenger handling still being under construction and not expected to be ready until December.

Officials and aviation stakeholders have warned that the move could trigger a serious passenger handling crisis, given the limited capacity of the existing terminal, which is already strained by domestic traffic alone.

Md Younus Bhuiyan, project director of the internaiontal terminal building, told The Financial Express that construction is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

"The new terminal will significantly expand the airport's passenger handling capacity, but it won't be ready before December," he said.

Currently, the existing terminal can accommodate up to 0.73 million passengers annually, while the new terminal is expected to raise the capacity to 1.8 million passengers per year.

Authorities anticipate a sharp rise in passenger volume once international operations begin, yet critical infrastructure - such as customs, immigration, and security facilities - remains absent or inadequate in the current setup.

Infrastructure gaps

"There isn't enough space to accommodate immigration, customs and other essential services in the existing terminal," said Md Golam Mortoza Hossain, director of Cox's Bazar Airport.

Though teams from relevant government departments have visited the site, no final plan has been confirmed for setting up these facilities.

Despite these challenges, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan has expressed intent to launch international operations using the domestic terminal and said preparations are underway.

But aviation operators have expressed strong reservations about the decision.

"Cox's Bazar Airport lacks all the necessary terminal facilities for international operations -- except the runway," said Mofizur Rahman, managing director of Novoair and secretary general of the Aviation Operators Association of Bangladesh.

"The terminal is inadequate even for domestic operations. It's unclear how CAAB plans to handle international flights starting next month."

He added that opening the airport prematurely would not be realistic and could lead to operational chaos, echoing concerns over CAAB's earlier rushed launch of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in October 2024, where full commercial operations have yet to begin.

In preparation for the expansion, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the country's sole ground-handling service provider, has been directed to get ready for international services at the Cox's bazar Airport.

Runway expansion

According to CAAB officials, a major infrastructure milestone - the runway extension project - is nearing completion.

An additional 1,700 feet of runway, built into the Bay of Bengal, will increase the total length to 10,700 feet (3.26 km), making it the longest runway in Bangladesh once completed.

CAAB is also in discussions with several international airlines to begin operations from Cox's Bazar.

Among them, UAE-based Air Arabia has already expressed interest in launching direct flights from the airport, said the CAAB chairman.

Currently, four domestic carriers - Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla, Novoair, and Air Astra - operate flights to and from Cox's Bazar.

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