The facelift, the economic injection: What Dhaka airport’s third terminal promises
According to a report by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, about 60% of all cargo transported by air from Bangladesh is transported by passenger aircraft.
Dhaka: Reduced export lead time, state-of-the-art cold storage facilities, enhanced cargo handling capacity and much more: these are what the third terminal of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport brings.
It’s a facelift to match Bangladesh’s growing influence and ambition in the global scene.
But the biggest boost will be felt in the economy.
The days of disruption of export of fresh vegetables, fruits or live fish due to lack of ample cold storage at the airport will end with the opening of the third terminal.
The new terminal comes with a new export cargo complex with a capacity of about 5,50,000 tonnes per annum and three-category cold storage facilities ranging 396.15 square metres. The complex will have an annual capacity of around 4,000 tonnes.
According to a report by the civil aviation and tourism ministry, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) currently has a 420-square-metre cold storage facility in the area adjacent to the existing export cargo terminal building at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority has appointed a consultant for the construction of a separate warehouse adjacent to the export cargo terminal building on BADC land.
“The increase in cargo handling capacity and cold storage capacity of the third terminal will be very helpful in increasing our exports,” Md Monjurul Islam, advisor of Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters Association (BFVAPEA) told The Business Standard.
He said currently the daily demand for cold storage is between 500-800 tonnes.
“The demands for fresh agricultural products, fresh vegetables and fruits are increasing in the international market. So our cold storage demand will increase to 3,000-4,000 tonnes in the next five years.”
Kamruzzaman Kamal, director (marketing) of Pran-RFL Group said, the cold storage would help in the export of fresh agricultural produce of the country.
Moreover, the cargo handling capacity of the airport will increase by almost three times with the opening of the new terminal. Around 1.20 crore passengers will be able to avail of the facility annually.
The country’s main international airport currently has an import cargo handling capacity of 84,379 tonnes per annum, according to official documents.
After the commissioning of the new terminal, this capacity will increase to 2,73,470 tonnes per annum.
Similarly, HSIA currently has an export cargo handling capacity of 2,00,560 tonnes per annum, which will increase to 5,46,941 tonnes after the third terminal is commissioned.
Another benefit will be for the country’s image.
Speaking at a press conference today, (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman said the third terminal will also change the country’s image through world-class passenger services.
The third terminal, for which 90% construction had been completed till Monday (2 October), is set to be inaugurated on 7 October by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The terminal will be fully operational in December 2024.
What else to expect
The new terminal will also come with a baggage handling system, an arrival lounge, a duty-free shop and boarding bridges, according to CAAB.
There will be two rapid exit taxiways covering 41,500 square metres to allow an aircraft to leave the runway quickly after landing.
It will allow other aircraft to use the taxiway for take-off or landing.
In the new terminal, the larger lounge for transit passengers will serve 40,00,000 passengers annually.
The two terminals of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport currently handle around 150 flights of 30 airlines while serving about 25,000 to 30,000 passengers daily.
According to a report by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, about 60% of all cargo transported by air from Bangladesh is transported by passenger aircraft.
The remaining 40% of goods are transported on exclusive cargo flights.
Construction of the Tk21,300-crore third terminal project started in December 2019.
