Dhaka airport’s third terminal set to open by Dec 16 or early next year
Spanning about 542,000 square metres, the third terminal is expected to significantly expand the airport’s capacity, handling an additional 12 to 16 million passengers annually along with nearly 900,000 tonnes of cargo
ATT Desk Report
The government is planning to open the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport either on December 16 or at the start of the New Year, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Thursday.
He made the announcement after a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat, reports TBS.
Spanning about 542,000 square metres, the third terminal is expected to significantly expand the airport’s capacity, handling an additional 12 to 16 million passengers annually along with nearly 900,000 tonnes of cargo.
However, the facility has remained idle for around one and a half years due to unresolved issues over operation and revenue sharing between the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and a Japanese consortium.
The consortium includes Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Nippon Koei and Narita International Airport Corporation.
Bangladesh and Japan held a bilateral meeting on April 3 to move forward on operation and maintenance arrangements, but a final agreement is yet to be reached. Discussions focused on key issues such as embarkation fees, upfront payments and revenue-sharing terms.
Millat urged the Japanese side to reconsider Bangladesh’s position and submit a revised proposal, with both sides agreeing to hold further talks soon.
Officials say activating the terminal is critical to easing congestion at Dhaka airport and supporting Bangladesh’s ambition to position itself as a regional aviation hub.
Earlier, Bangladesh has asked the Japanese side to submit a revised proposal on the operation and maintenance of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as both countries renewed negotiations to bring the long-delayed facility into operation.
The request was made during a meeting between officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and a Japanese delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on March 15.
Officials said the talks resumed after nearly a year as the government stepped up efforts to resolve outstanding issues surrounding the management of the nearly completed terminal.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat urged the Japanese delegation to submit an updated proposal on operating and maintaining the terminal at the earliest.
Prior to that on March 15, The government reopened negotiations with a Japanese consortium in a renewed effort to operationalise the long-delayed Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, marked the first formal round of negotiations between Bangladesh and the Japanese partners under the current BNP-led government, signalling a fresh push to resolve long-standing contractual and operational issues that have kept the nearly completed terminal from fully opening.
