A runway stretching towards the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal has become the defining feature of Cox’s Bazar Airport, which is now moving closer to its long-awaited transition into an international gateway.
At the end of the runway, the sea stretches out in front, while the airport’s expanded facilities signal a new phase for air connectivity in the country’s major tourism destination.
The airport now has an expanded runway, a modern passenger terminal, and upgraded security and passenger-handling facilities. Trial operations at the new international-standard passenger terminal began on Monday, while international flights could start from Cox’s Bazar as early as October, according to the plan.
The new terminal is expected to ease the congestion that passengers have long faced at the airport.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Member (ATM) Air Commodore Md Nur-e-Alam said the old terminal often had to handle 400 to 500 passengers per flight, and sometimes as many as 550, creating pressure beyond its capacity.
“The new terminal is currently being operated on a trial basis. This will help identify any operational problems before its formal inauguration,” he said.
Built over around 17,955 square meters, the new international passenger terminal has 14 check-in counters, 10 immigration desks and two modern baggage-claim belts.
It also has seven security scanners, metal detection systems and separate facilities for hold baggage screening. Four escalators and six lifts have been installed to improve passenger movement, along with a boarding bridge and modern baggage-handling facilities.
According to CAAB sources, the terminal has an annual passenger-handling capacity of around 2 million. Testing and commissioning of various imported equipment are already complete.
But the most visible transformation at Cox’s Bazar Airport is on the runway.
The runway has been extended towards the sea, taking its total length to 10,700 feet. Around 1,700 feet of the extended section has been constructed over the sea using blocks.
The expansion is expected to allow larger wide-body passenger aircraft to operate from the airport. Airfield and runway lighting have also been upgraded, including the lighting system on the section built over the sea.
Work to make the runway suitable for Category II operations has also been completed.
M Mosharraf Hossain, coordinator of the runway expansion project, said the asphalt overlay, extension and lighting works, along with other related work, had been completed.
“The airport is now ready for its inauguration,” he said.
The new terminal has also drawn a positive response from airline operators.
Mohammad Kamrul Islam, general manager (public relations) of US-Bangla Airlines, said the terminal offered modern facilities and would benefit all airlines operating from Cox’s Bazar.
“It is a positive development for all airlines, and passengers will receive better services and facilities than before,” he said.
The development is also being viewed as an opportunity to expand Cox’s Bazar’s economic links with overseas markets.
Abu Morshed Chowdhury Khoka, former president of the Cox’s Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the introduction of international flights could create opportunities to transport dried fish, vegetables and other products directly to destinations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
However, business representatives say airport infrastructure alone will not be enough to turn Cox’s Bazar into a fully developed international tourism destination.
Mukin Khan, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Resort Owners Association, said improved security, dedicated tourism zones, parking facilities and evening entertainment would also be needed to attract foreign tourists.
For years, the idea of an international airport in Cox’s Bazar remained largely a long-term ambition. With the runway now extended over the sea and the new passenger terminal entering trial operations, that ambition is moving closer to reality.
The runway is ready, the terminal is taking shape in its final operational phase, and Cox’s Bazar is now waiting for international aircraft to arrive over the Bay of Bengal.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
