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The government has officially declared the Cox's Bazar Airport an international airport through a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (MoCAT).
According to the notification issued on Sunday night, the declaration was made under Sub-rule (1) of Rule 16 of the Civil Aviation Rules, 1984, and takes effect immediately.
Officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said they expect to inaugurate the airport later this month, although the gazette did not mention any specific date.
"No date has yet been finalised for the inauguration of international flights," said Ahmed Zamil, joint secretary of MoCAT, who signed the notification.
Earlier, on August 7 this year, the CAAB issued an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules, announcing that Cox's Bazar Airport would officially be designated as an international airport from October 2.
Subsequently, on August 11, CAAB sent letters to two domestic carriers -- Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines -- seeking information on whether they plan to operate international flights from Cox's Bazar to foreign destinations.
"CAAB has also invited several international airlines currently operating in Bangladesh to consider launching flights from Cox's Bazar. However, no foreign carrier has responded so far," a senior CAAB official told The Financial Express on condition of anonymity.
National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines has expressed interest in operating one international flight per week on the Cox's Bazar-Dhaka-Kolkata route, said Boshra Islam, general manager (Public Relations) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Although the route has been finalised, Biman officials say ticket sales have not yet begun as the official launch date remains undecided.
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