Cox’s Bazar airport ready for international flights in October

• Runway expansion and international terminal ready, tourism and regional connectivity to increase

Cox’s Bazar Airport will be launched as an international airport by October this year, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Mr. M Rashiduzzaman Millat has said. He disclosed the information while responding to questions from journalists after a meeting with officials and employees of the ministry at the Secretariat on Sunday.

The initiative is being viewed as an important step towards further developing Cox’s Bazar as an international tourist destination and establishing direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and various tourism and commercial destinations around the world. Once international flights begin, foreign tourists will have the opportunity to travel directly to Cox’s Bazar. At the same time, stakeholders expect a positive impact on tourism, hotels and motels, transport, business and trade, and the local economy.

Several infrastructure development works have already been completed to upgrade Cox’s Bazar Airport to international standards. These include runway expansion and construction of an international passenger terminal. In April this year, the then civil aviation and tourism minister told Parliament that the airport’s runway had been extended from 9,000 feet to 10,700 feet to create capacity for international operations. An international passenger terminal building measuring 17,955 square metres has also been constructed. At the time, testing and commissioning of the facilities were underway.

Government development programme data also mention several projects to upgrade Cox’s Bazar Airport to international standards. These include runway expansion, construction of an international passenger terminal building and consultancy services for the second phase of the airport development project. An allocation of Tk 45 crore was kept for the Cox’s Bazar Airport runway expansion project in the revised Annual Development Programme for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Meanwhile, the proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year has outlined plans to develop Cox’s Bazar, along with Rajshahi, Jashore and Saidpur airports, as international gateways as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s air connectivity.

Stakeholders say international operations at Cox’s Bazar Airport could create new opportunities not only for tourism but also for Bangladesh’s connectivity with Southeast Asia. In particular, there will be opportunities to establish direct air links with various countries in the region, including Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. However, commercial discussions with airlines, slot allocation, ground handling, immigration, customs, security and other necessary arrangements will have to be coordinated and completed for international flight operations.

Earlier in April, Parliament was informed that Cox’s Bazar Airport had received certification from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) after meeting the standards required for international operations. Discussions with various airlines were also underway to launch international flights.

If international operations begin in October, direct connectivity between Cox’s Bazar, the country’s main tourist city, and the international tourism market will become easier. Currently, foreign tourists have to travel to Cox’s Bazar via Dhaka. The launch of direct international flights could reduce travel time and costs while creating the potential to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar. Businesspeople and tourism stakeholders believe this could create new employment and investment opportunities in hotels and motels, restaurants, transport, tour operators, tourism services and local small and medium-sized businesses in tourism-dependent Cox’s Bazar.

However, stakeholders say that alongside the launch of international airport operations, roads and public transport in Cox’s Bazar city and tourist areas, security, waste management, tourism services and transportation between the airport and the city must also be modernised. According to them, making the airport international alone will not be enough; the entire tourism infrastructure and service system must also be prepared to meet the expectations of international tourists.

Meanwhile, on his first day as the new civil aviation and tourism minister, Mr. M Rashiduzzaman Millat said he would accelerate the aviation and tourism sectors. He said removing coordination gaps among the ministry and its agencies would be a priority. He also announced plans for the soft opening of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 16.

If the announcement to bring Cox’s Bazar Airport into international operations is implemented, it could mark a major transformation in the country’s tourism sector. The attention of stakeholders will now remain on how quickly the remaining technical, administrative and service-related preparations can be completed to launch international passenger services within the scheduled timeframe in October.