The Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is expected to be inaugurated on 16 December this year or at the beginning of 2027, said State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat.
He made the remarks on Thursday morning, 23 April, at the Secretariat following a meeting with the Prime Minister.
The State Minister said the Prime Minister has instructed that Biman must be transformed into a profitable organization at any cost. Plans are also underway to operationalize Cox’s Bazar Airport after the announcement of the upcoming budget. International flights from Cox’s Bazar are expected to begin within 2–3 months.
He added that efforts are in place to launch the terminal by the end of this year, with the possibility of inauguration on 16 December or at the start of the new year.
The State Minister also noted that the ministry is working to procure 14 aircrafts from Boeing and lease additional aircraft by 30 April. He further said the government is considering implementing PPP (Public-Private Partnership) models to make the country’s tourism destinations more profitable.
Earlier, on 22 April, the State Minister had stated that the government has long-term plans for tourism development. Responding to questions from journalists at the Secretariat, M Rashiduzzaman Millat said, “I have heard that our aircrafts go empty, while many people cannot get tickets. Yet flights are departing without passengers. Such syndicates do exist. We have taken the necessary plans to break them. We are aware of the problems and have formulated strategies to address them.”
DBTech/DH/EK/OR
