Ground handling agreement expected by September as anti-drone technology boosts airport security
Third Terminal Awaits Japan Deal Before December Launch
- Japan deal expected by late August or early September
- Government targets December 16 terminal inauguration
- New ATC expected to boost flight-charge revenue by 8%
Bangladesh's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB) is moving ahead with preparations to launch the Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 16, while expecting to sign a ground handling agreement with a Japanese consortium by late August or early September. The authority also announced plans to procure an anti-drone system this year to strengthen airport security.
Speaking at a workshop on Civil Aviation and Air Traffic Operations in Dhaka on Monday, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md. Mostafa Mahmud Siddique said the government remains committed to opening the terminal as scheduled.
He said Japanese bidders are expected to submit their proposals by July 31, after which the evaluation and contract signing process will begin. Once the agreement is finalized, the consortium will take charge of installed equipment, conduct calibration and operational testing, and recruit personnel before commercial operations begin.
According to the CAAB chairman, construction of the Third Terminal is nearly complete and loan repayments for the project have already started. He expressed confidence that the terminal would begin operations in December without any subsequent shutdown.
Highlighting aviation security, he urged media professionals not to fly drones around the airport and announced that an anti-drone detection and mitigation system would be procured for Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport within this year.
CAAB also said that enhanced Air Traffic Control (ATC) capabilities would increase annual revenue from overflight charges paid by foreign aircraft using Bangladesh's airspace by approximately 8 percent.
At the end of the workshop, the CAAB chairman distributed certificates among members of the Bangladesh Aviation and Tourism Journalists Association (BATJA).
The event was attended by Air Commodore Abu Sayeed Mehbub Khan, Member (Operations and Planning); SM Lablur Rahman, Member (Administration); and Air Commodore Md. Nur-i-Alam, Member (ATM) and workshop trainer. BATJA Convener Alimuzzaman Safwan, Member Secretary Imon Chowdhury, and members of the association's executive committee also participated.
//DBTech/CRT/SME//
