PM to inaugurate portion of HSIA's 3rd terminal on Oct 7

The authorities are all set for the soft launching of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's (HSIA) third terminal on October 7 as around 90 percent of its construction work has been completed as of Monday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given her consent to inaugurate the third terminal partially on October 7, Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), said this noon.

While addressing a press conference inside the new terminal, he said the entire terminal building with most of the modern facilities is now visible and the work on interior decoration and the installation of various equipment has almost been finished.

He said, “We need 90 percent of work done for the soft launching and I can say, till today, 89 percent of those have been completed."

He said the terminal will be fully operational for passengers use at the end of next year while from October 7 airlines would be able to use new parking lot of the terminal.

"The new terminal will change the country's image with all world class amenities and passenger services," said the CAAB chief.

Rahman said after the soft launching, the work for systems integration and calibration would be started and it is expected to complete within next eight months.

The 12 boarding gates with double entry bridges of the third terminal will be operational by next year while the additional 14 boarding bridges are expected to be operational afterwards.

After full-fledged operation of the 3rd terminal, the annual passenger handling capacity of the HSIA would be 20 million which is now only eight million.

The construction work of 37 new aircraft parking area and two taxiways connecting to the apron area have already been completed.

Ahead of the third terminal's full operation, different foreign airlines are eyeing to start their operation from Dhaka Airport, which is expected to play a great role to take the country's aviation sector forward, experts said.

The third terminal project, costing Taka 21,300 crore, commenced on December 28, 2019. The government contributed Tk 5,000 crore, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide the remaining funding.

Covering an area of 542,000 square metres, the third terminal will boast a floor space of 230,000 square metres, housing 177 check-in counters, 64 departure immigration desks, and 64 arrival immigration desks.