CAAB
Domestic airports are getting face-lift to offer quality services to passengers: CAAB
Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) has taken initiatives to modernise and expand all domestic airports of the country as well as the quality of passenger services.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, measures have been taken to modernize and expand the domestic terminals of seven airports in the country.
Apart from three international airports- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram and Osmani International Airport, Sylhet there are domestic airports in Cox's Bazar, Rajshahi, Saidpur, Nilphamari and Barisal.
Steps to modernise all domestic airports in phases
Asked about all initiatives, CAAB Chairman Air vice Marshal M Mofizur Rahman told UNB that work is underway to enhance the quality of passenger services at the seven domestic airports, including the domestic terminal at Shahjalal International Airport.
He said that the number of passengers on domestic flights has increased a lot in the country at present. Work on the landing terminal at Dhaka Airport has already started. "We hope that the expansion work will be completed soon. Everything else will be done quickly."
The chairman said there is a plan to expand the domestic terminal of Dhaka airport by the middle of this year.
The work on expanding the domestic terminal will be completed in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport first.
READ: Parliamentary body visits Cox’s Bazar Airport project
A budget has been earmarked for phasing out the domestic terminal buildings of all other airports in the same manner. Permission has already been sought from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. The internal terminal will be further modernized.
Besides, the work of transforming Cox's Bazar Airport into an International airport is going on and the domestic terminal will be more modernized there.
According to CAAB, the initiative has been taken to handle the increasing pressure of domestic passengers as well as to enhance the quality of services. A 8,000 sq ft floor is being constructed on the second floor of the old terminal building inside Dhaka airport. Half of that floor will have two international standard lines and the other half will have passenger seats and other facilities. There will be an air conditioning system with elevators.
READ: Dhaka airport's 3rd terminal to 'boost' trade
He further said modern scanning machines, security equipment, two international standard lounges, seating capacity of more than 300 passengers, smoking zone, diaper changing station and mothers' corner will be set up at the domestic terminal at Dhaka Airport.
Increasing pressure on domestic flights
In this regard, the State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali told UNB that steps have been taken to modernize and expand all domestic airports in the country further as per the directives of the prime minister to enhance the quality of passenger services at airports in line with various countries in the world.
He said, "Domestic flights within the country's existing passenger transport system have been increasing at a significant rate in the last few years. The people of the country are now much more economically advanced."
Foreigners, businesspeople, and tourists are traveling more on domestic flights to save time, so the number of passengers is increasing day by day. That is why the project has been taken with emphasis on all domestic airport works, he added.
He said the waiting time of passengers at the domestic terminal in Dhaka will be made comfortable with more facilities.
All the domestic airports in the country will be arranged properly. "We have taken the initiative to provide all the facilities of the international airport to be available in the domestic airports too," he added.
According to CAAB, the security arrangements at the internal terminal are being further updated. Internal terminals will be equipped with security equipment to prevent crime. Security will be further strengthened on all routes.
Services need to be enhanced both in airports and airlines
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and NovoAir operate domestic flights. However, US-Bangla Airlines has the largest number of flights.
Kamrul Islam, General Manager (Public Relations) of US-Bangla Airlines, told UNB that the number of passengers on domestic flights has increased by almost 300 per cent in 7-8 years.
Passenger facilities have not increased accordingly and the quality of passenger service has remained the same, he said.
He said airlines should not just increase the quality of passenger service. The airport must also have quality of service. In all, both airports and airlines must provide the same quality services to passengers.
He said passenger lounges have been set up in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar and Rajshahi. Similarly, the quality of passenger service needs to be enhanced with all facilities including passenger lounges at all other domestic airports.
World-class third terminal of Dhaka Airport to be visible by Dec: CAAB
Braving the pandemic, the work on the construction of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is progressing in full swing with officials saying that parts of the much-awaited building will be visible by December this year.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh informed that already 22 percent of construction work has been completed and it is expected to gain momentum now that Covid-19 infections are on the wane.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman told UNB that the construction of the 3rd terminal would be completed on time.
Read BGMEA wants better cargo handling services at Dhaka airport
“The progress of the work is very satisfactory,” he said.
“The construction work is moving on faster than anticipated. The project will be visible from the outside within December this year,” he said.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali told UNB that the terminal, designed by renowned architect Rohani Baharin, will match the world’s most modern airports.
Also read: PM inaugurates construction of Dhaka airport’s ‘Third Terminal’
Rohani is famous for her works with Changi International Airport’s Terminal 3, Wuhan Tianhe Terminal 2, Guanghzhou Baiyun New International Airport, Ahmedabad International Airport, New Islamabad International Airport, Can Tho and Phu Quoc International Airports.
The state minister said that the construction work is moving faster than the draft plan which makes them hopeful that it can be inaugurated before the scheduled time, which is 2023.
He said that even during the onslaught of Covid, the construction work didn’t stop for a single day and around 4,000 national and international workers are working on the project maintaining all the Covid safety protocols.
Read Cox's Bazar Airport set to get a spectacular maritime runway
Biman to restart Delhi, Kolkata flights within air bubble Sep 5
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume Bangladesh-India air bubble flights on the Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka route from September 5 and the Dhaka-Delhi-Dhaka route three days later.
The flights will restart within the air bubble agreed between the two countries before the resumption of scheduled international passenger flights.
The national flag carrier will operate flights on the Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka route two days per week (Tuesday and Thursday) and two days per week (Sunday and Wednesday) on the Dhaka-Delhi-Dhaka route, according to Tahera Khondoker, deputy general manager (public relations), of Biman.
On September 2, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) accepted the Indian civil aviation ministry's proposal to resume Bangladesh-India air bubble flights on September 4.
Read: US-Bangla to resume flights on Dhaka-Chennai route from Sunday
Bangladesh-India air bubble flights likely to restart Sept 4
The air bubble flights between Bangladesh and India are likely to be resumed Saturday, instead of Friday, before the restart of scheduled international passenger flights, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
The proposal of resumption of air bubble flights with seven frequencies has been accepted. However, a proposal of allocation of 10 frequencies is in place for consideration.
Irrespective of the Covid-19 vaccination, any passenger travelling from India will have to complete a 14-day strict home quarantine. All other related provisions, including the requirement of mandatory RT-PCR test, would apply to such passengers as mentioned in Air Transportation Circular issued on August 16, which may be amended from time to time.
Read: Bangladesh-India air bubble flights likely to resume Sept 3
However, the carriage of passengers can be restricted to 90% of the total seating capacity of the aircraft used.
In addition to the requirement to the category of passengers, suggested in its previous letter issued on August 4, CAAB proposed including "passengers with business visa" – namely to help airlines crew to travel to India for simulator training.
On August 28, the Indian civil aviation ministry said in a statement that flight operations between the two countries may resume from September 3 under the air bubble agreement.
Cox's Bazar Airport set to get a spectacular maritime runway
Bangladesh is set to add another feather to its development journey with the formal groundbreaking inauguration of the runway extension work along the Sea at Cox's Bazar Airport on Sunday.
This maritime runway, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, is seen as a major step towards promoting Cox’s Bazar, the country's popular beach town, to an international metropolis.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to virtually inaugurate the groundbreaking ceremony and unveil the foundation stone of the runway extension at 10am, said an official.
Read PM inaugurates work on Cox's Bazar Airport’s runway upgradation
Apparently inspired by Hong Kong International Airport, the government of Bangladesh has taken the runway expansion project at the Cox's Bazar Airport by reclaiming land from the sea.
Upon completion of the project, all types of large aircraft will be able to take off and land on the maritime runway, officials said.
The US$ 185 million project will help boost the development of Cox’s Bazar and the neighbouring regions, they said.
Read Bangladesh unlocks tourism
The government is currently implementing a large number of projects in Cox's Bazar under a mega plan to develop the tourism city like Singapore and Hong Kong.
CAAB imposes restriction on international flights
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has now imposed restriction on foreign flights due to the increasing rate of Covid-19 infection rate in the country.
Flights from eight countries - India, Nepal and South Africa, Botswana, Mongolia, Namibia, Panama and Tunisia under Group- A, would not be able to enter Bangladeshi airports, said a circular Monday.
The restrictions would be effective until further notice.
READ: Domestic flights to operate for international passengers only
Bangladeshis who visited the eight countries in the last 15 days could travel to Bangladesh over special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladeshi engineers of ships who left the Group- A countries within past 15 days of travel to Bangladesh could return showing valid documentary evidence about their profession and signing off.
Arriving to the country, 14-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense must be maintained
READ: Domestic flights resume Wednesday
People from Group-B countries were permitted to travel to and from Bangladesh.
The countries in Group-B are - Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Georgia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, UAE, UK and Uruguay.
Vaccinated passengers would have to stay at a 14-day strict home quarantine, upon arrival.
In contrast, passengers not vaccinated must stay at a 14-day institutional quarantine at a government nominated hotel at their own cost.
READ: Stringent lockdown: Biman's domestic flights suspended till July 7
Passengers from counties other than Group- A and B would have to complete a 14-day home quarantine as well.
Incase of Covid-19 symptoms detection on the arrival, the passenger would be sent to a government hospital and might be sent to isolation at government-nominated hotels, depending on the intensity of it.
Domestic flights suspended from July 8
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has suspended all types of domestic flights due to extended Covid lockdown.
Following the government guidance and instruction, the fights would remain suspended from July 8 to July 14, said a media release Monday.
READ: Domestic flights to operate for international passengers only
However, medevac, humanitarian, relief flights (in coordination with local police/authority by
the operator) and cargo flights would remain out of the purview of this restriction.
For those flights, standard disinfection, sanitization and social distancing procedures for passenger, crew, equipment and aircraft should be strictly maintained, the release also said.
READ: Stringent lockdown: Biman's domestic flights suspended till July 7
Bangladesh entered a seven-day lockdown, from July 1, to tackle the rising tide of Covid-19 infections and fatalities.
The country Monday extended the ongoing stringent lockdown to July 14 midnight.
READ: Domestic flights resume Wednesday
Bangladesh to resume commercial flights on select routes
Commercial flights between Dhaka and some 38 countries will resume from Saturday (May 01, 2021), according to the country's civil aviation regulator.
However, flights to high-risk countries will remain suspended, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said in a notification on Friday night.
According to the notification, passengers coming from higher risk among these 38 countries will have to go through a 14-day mandatory institutional quarantine at government-designated hotels at their own expense.
Also read: Domestic flights resume Wednesday
On the other hand, passengers coming from comparatively low-risk countries will have to go through a 14-day home quarantine.
But, an exception has been made for passengers arriving from Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait -- they will go through a three-day institutional quarantine, despite being on the list of higher-risk countries.
Also read: Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17
The rest 11 days will be considered for home quarantine based on their subsequent health examination results.
The circular also said that air bubble flights with India will remain suspended until further notice.
All international flights were suspended from April 14 as the government imposed a strict lockdown from that day to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Read CAAB issues circular on quarantine procedure of spl flight passengers
Five family members of Bashundhara Group MD leave country
Five family members of Bashundhara Group's Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir and their three domestic helps left the country for Dubai on a chartered flight on Thursday night.
Sources at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said the five family members include Anvir's wife Sabrina Sobhan, their two children, wife of Anvir's younger brother Yeasha Sobhan and their daughter.
Three domestic helps also accompanied them.
Also read: Young woman found dead in Gulshan; case filed against Bashundhara MD
"The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) gave permission to operate the chartered aircraft," said a CAAB official prefering anonymity.
He said the passengers boarded the aircraft on completion of necessary formalities.
He, however, said airport security officials were on high alert so that Sayem Sobhan Anvir cannot leave the country.
A Dhaka court on Tuesday issued a travel ban on Sayem Sobhan after the recovery of a young woman's body hanging from the ceiling at a flat in the capital on Monday.
Also read: Dhaka court imposes travel ban on Bashundhara MD over abetting suicide
The deceased was identified as Mosarat Jahan Munia, 21, daughter of late Shafiqur Rahman, a freedom fighter of Monoharpur in Cumilla district.
Following the recovery of her body, the victim's sister, Nusrat Jahan, filed a case under section 306 of Bangladesh Penal Code with Gulshan Police Station on Tuesday.
In the case, Nusrat Jahan made Sayem Sobhan Anvir the lone accused of abetting the death of the 21-year-old college student.
Also read: Bashundhara Group MD seeks anticipatory bail
On Wednesday, Anvir filed a petition with the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
But, the High Court declined to hear the anticipatory bail petition on Thursday.
CAAB issues circular on quarantine procedure of spl flight passengers
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Saturday issued a circular on the quarantine procedure of the passengers of the flights operating under special consideration.
The order will remain in force until 12 pm on April 28..
All incoming or outgoing passengers shall mandatorily posses PCR based Covid-19 negative certificate. The PCR test shall be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time, according to the circular.
Also read: Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17
Arriving passengers who have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine and possess PCR based Covid-19 negative certificate along with the proof of vaccination shall have to complete a 14-day home quarantine.
The local administration will ensure their home quarantine.
Arriving passengers carrying PCR based Covid-19 negative certificate and either received 1st dose of vaccine or not yet vaccinated shall have to complete a mandatory three- day institutional quarantine at government nominated facilities or at hotels on passengers own expenses.
Upon completion of 3- day institutional quarantine, sample will be collected for Covid-19 PCR test. The passengers will be released to complete a total of 11 days of home quarantine if the PCR based Covid-19 test result is cound negative.
The local administration will ensure their home quarantine.
Also read: Domestic flights resume Wednesday
In case of positive result of PCR based Covid-19 test, the passenger shall have to go for isolation at government nominated facilities at own expenses, it added.
The Airlines concerned shall issue boarding passes to the passengers only after getting confirmed about the vaccination.
Airlines must ensure that seats are available for the passengers at the government institutional quarantine facilities or the passengers have the proof of hotel reservation for institutional quarantine.
If seats are not available at the government institutional quarantine facilities, the passenger will board flight only after ensuring hotel reservation.