Shahjalal airport's capacity to increase by two and a half times
The Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka will handle 20 million passengers annually when its third terminal becomes operational. The airport’s existing passenger handling capacity is around eight million and its service quality is not up to the mark.
Started in December 2019, construction of the third terminal has been going on in full swing. Till the first week of September, the project’s progress rate was set at 19 per cent. However, the work has progressed more than 3 per cent of the target, concerned officials said.
It is expected that the new terminal will be completed by September 2023.
State minister for the civil aviation and tourism ministry Md Mahbub Ali told Prothom Alo, “Construction work of the third terminal continued uninterruptedly amid the coronavirus situation. I hope we can inaugurate the new terminal even before the scheduled date.”
Currently, HSIA comprises two terminals where the number of passengers and volume of cargo grows by the day.
In 2014, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh did a feasibility study on a third terminal of HSIA. The study estimated that the number of passengers at the HSIA would stand at 14 million and 25 million per annum by 2025 and 2035 respectively. Hence, the study recommended for expansion of the terminal, runway and cargo handling services at the HSIA.
Then, the government approved the Tk 212.99 billion-worth Airport Expansion (first phase) project in October 2017.
Construction of the third terminal has been underway at the east side of the existing two terminals.
In a recent visit at Kurmitola–where the HSIA is located, it was found that piling for the third terminal was already completed. Pillars of the building as well as the runway were being constructed by the active involvement of around five thousand workers.
Project related officials said, there will be a metro-rail (LINE-1) station at the third terminal. Passengers could reach to the third terminal directly by the metro-rail.
Features of new terminal
The new terminal with a 230,000-square metre space will be double the existing terminal. At least 37 planes could park on the third terminal apron.
On an average, HSIA handles 240 planes’ landing and takeoff every day. When the third terminal starts operation, the number of planes will be increased more, the project officials said.
They said that there will be 115 check-in counters, 12 boarding bridges, 16 conveyer belts and 64 immigration gates each for departure and arrival at the third terminal. Besides, there will be 27 baggage X-ray machines and 11 body scanners. The new terminal will have a three-storey car parking facility on a 54,000-square metre space where 1,230 cars can be parked.
Architect Rohani Baharin of the Singapore-based CPG Corporation drew the design of the new terminal. She also developed the architectural designs of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, air traffic control tower at Guangzhou airport in China, Ahmedabad International Airport in India, the new Islamabad International Airport in Pakistan, and others.
Aviation Dhaka Consortium--consisting Japanese joint-venture Mitsubishi-Fujita Corporation and Korean Samsung C&T Corporation--is implementing the airport extension project.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing Tk 161.41 billion as an official development assistance loan while the Bangladesh government is investing Tk 2.58 billion in the project.
HSIA extension project official Maqsud Islam told Prothom Alo that the new terminal will be a facelift and passengers will get international standard services.