Five airlines owe CAAB over Tk7,000cr

Five domestic airlines owe more than Tk7,000 crore to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), with unpaid landing, navigation, counter rental and other aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges accumulating over the years.

State-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines accounts for the bulk of the outstanding dues, according to CAAB records.

As of August 2026, Biman owed CAAB Tk5,842.91 crore, accounting for around 83 percent of the total outstanding amount. Of this, Tk3,452 crore was owed for services at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Tk1,781 crore in Chattogram and Tk603 crore in Sylhet, besides dues at other airports.

The amount owed by Biman includes Tk512 crore in VAT and Tk53 lakh in income tax. The non-payment of these dues is also depriving the government of revenue.

Among the other airlines, the long-defunct GMG Airlines owes Tk411 crore, Regent Airways Tk454 crore and United Airways around Tk391 crore. Novoair, which is currently operating, owes CAAB around Tk13 crore.

US-Bangla Airlines and Air Astra, meanwhile, have no outstanding dues with CAAB, according to the information available.

For airlines that have ceased operations, surcharges and penalties have in some cases risen several times above the principal amount.

Despite owing nearly Tk5,843 crore to CAAB, Biman has reported itself as profitable on paper. It reported revenue of Tk11,559 crore and net profit of Tk785.21 crore in the 2024-25 financial year, following a net profit of Tk282 crore in the previous financial year.

Biman also owes Tk1,277 crore to Padma Oil, in addition to its dues to CAAB.

Experts have questioned how Biman can report profits while such large outstanding liabilities remain unpaid or are deferred.

The Tk5,842 crore owed by Biman alone would have been enough to finance several major aviation projects. The expansion of Cox’s Bazar Airport’s runway and its development project together cost around Tk5,725 crore, while the outstanding amount would also cover around 27 percent of the Tk21,399 crore estimated cost of the under-construction third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Aviation expert Wing Commander (retd) ATM Nazrul Islam said CAAB was following a “dual policy” in recovering its dues.

“CAAB should sit together with Biman and other stakeholders to discuss the old dues and surcharges. Biman could be given up to five years to repay the outstanding amount in instalments,” he said.

He said such an arrangement would allow CAAB to recover its revenue without putting excessive pressure on the airlines through a one-off payment.

Biman has received waivers on its outstanding dues in the past. In 2008, when its liabilities reached Tk1,800 crore, the Finance Ministry waived Tk1,216 crore in surcharges. In 2017, CAAB also waived Tk1,700 crore of Biman’s outstanding dues.

Biman began accumulating unpaid bills with Padma Oil from 2009. It later sought a waiver of the dues in 2020, citing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation rejected the request.