Cox’s Bazar Int’l Airport set for Nov opening

The government is preparing to inaugurate Cox’s Bazar International Airport in November, with plans to attract international airlines and establish the coastal city as a global tourism hub, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Monday.
Speaking at a meeting at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism in Dhaka, the minister said the newly developed airport would allow foreign and domestic tourists to travel directly to Cox’s Bazar from different parts of the world.
Representatives of domestic and foreign airlines attended the meeting to discuss infrastructure development and the steps needed to introduce international flights to the airport.
The minister highlighted the potential for direct air links between Cox’s Bazar and Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, saying the route could offer opportunities for China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
He noted that Yunnan was landlocked and that Cox’s Bazar could provide a promising connection for travellers from the Chinese province.
The government was also working towards launching direct flights between Cox’s Bazar and Penang through AirAsia, while the minister welcomed flydubai’s interest in operating a Cox’s Bazar-Bangkok-Dubai service.

The government was considering financial incentives for airlines to encourage the launch of new routes, he added.
The proposed international connections are expected to improve access to Cox’s Bazar, one of Bangladesh’s leading tourist destinations, and support efforts to attract more overseas visitors.
Meanwhile, speaking to journalists at a press briefing before the meeting, Millat said recent attacks in Riyadh had temporarily disrupted air travel not only in Bangladesh but also internationally.
The disruption affected more than 3,400 passengers on 10 cancelled flights, he said, adding that officials had been instructed to take necessary measures to reduce passenger suffering.
“This is a global crisis. I hope we will be able to overcome it with everyone’s cooperation,” the minister said.
The meeting was chaired by Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhter. Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Kaizer Sohel Ahmed, and representatives of the ministry and domestic and foreign airlines also attended.