CAAB targets Victory Day to open Dhaka airport's third terminal

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is aiming to open the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on December 16 this year to mark Victory Day, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq said at a meeting today with the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum Bangladesh (ATJFB).

He explained that it would take at least three months to sign the agreement after negotiations conclude, followed by a six‑month to one‑year test run.

“We hope to make the third terminal operational on a limited scale six months after the test run,” he said.

“The government has set December 16 as a target date and work is progressing accordingly,” Mostafa said.

The proposed agreement with Japan will safeguard Bangladesh’s interests, he assured.

Negotiations resumed in March after a pause of over a year, with key issues including embarkation fees, upfront payments, and revenue‑sharing arrangements.

The Japanese consortium includes Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Nippon Koei, and Narita International Airport Corporation.

Although 99.5 percent of construction is complete, the Tk 21,300 crore third terminal has remained non‑operational since its soft launch in October 2023.

Built by ADC, a consortium of Mitsubishi Corporation, Fujita Corporation, and Samsung C&T Corporation, the terminal spans 230,000 square metres, with 115 check‑in counters, 66 departure immigration desks, 59 arrival immigration desks, and 3 VIP immigration desks.

Upon full operation, Dhaka airport's annual passenger handling capacity will double to 24 million, while cargo capacity will also expand significantly.

Currently, Dhaka airport handles eight million passengers and 500,000 tonnes of cargo annually.