The official inauguration of HazratShahjalal International Airport's third terminal is scheduled for October 7.
During an inspection of the construction progress on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md. Mofidur Rahman shared that the third terminal is currently 82 percent complete, with plans to reach 90 percent completion before the opening.
The terminal is being continuously constructed with daily efforts from 10000 to 12000 workers, aiming for its unveiling by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.
Regarding terminal use after the inauguration, a test flight will take place on the opening day, but full passenger functionality is expected by the end of the following year. The original completion target was April of the upcoming year, and during the interim, staff will undergo training in airport management, he informed further. On the progress of ground handling, CAAB Chairman said, JICA had approval for additional work. The allocation
is being discussed as earlier allocation was less. The budget for 14 boarding bridges will also be approved within the next one month.
Asked when the entire runway work will be completed and whether there is any political pressure, Mofidur Rahman said, the runway work will be taken up after the completion of the third terminal. A budget is needed for this.
However, there is no political pressure to open the third terminal in a hurry. We will be able to finish all the work as per the routine within the stipulated time. The work will be completed by the end of this year.
The third terminal construction project of the country's main airport was approved by ECNEC on October 24, 2017. At that time the expenditure was estimated at Tk 13610 crores. Later, the size of the project was increased by another Tk 7788.59 crore to about Tk 21398 crore.
