Cox’s Bazar airport loses int’l status despite recognition

The government has decided to suspend the notification that declared Cox’s Bazar Airport as an “international airport.” The new notification may be issued on Sunday annulling the earlier one.

Earlier, on 12 October, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism issued a notification declaring Cox’s Bazar Airport an international airport.

Eleven days later, the government decided to suspend that notification. Adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Sk Bashir Uddin confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo on Friday evening.

Details on the reason for this sudden decision is not yet clear. However, a source familiar with the matter said that last Thursday, the Chief Adviser verbally instructed the suspension of the notification. A new notification on the matter may be issued on Sunday.

In 2021, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the upgrade of Cox’s Bazar Airport to international standards and inaugurated the runway expansion work.

The runway has already been extended from 6,775 feet to 9,000 feet. However, the construction of the new terminal building, covering nearly 11,000 square feet, has not yet been fully completed.

Interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus inspected the construction of Cox’s Bazar Airport in March.

It is reported that since receiving ‘international’ recognition, no domestic or foreign airline has shown interest in operating international flights from Cox’s Bazar.

Although flights to the Middle East and the United Kingdom operate from Chattogram and Sylhet, airlines do not consider international flights from Cox’s Bazar to be profitable.

However, Biman Bangladesh Airlines had been preparing to start flights from Cox’s Bazar to Kolkata via Dhaka this month. The decision to suspend the airport’s “international” status was made before that could happen.