The long-awaited Third Terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) will not be fully operational by this December. However, if the contract signing with the Japanese consortium and other procedural logistics are completed on schedule, partial operations may commence on a limited scale around December.
Air Vice Marshal Md. Mostafa Mahmud Siddique, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), disclosed this information on Monday (July 20) while briefing journalists following a workshop titled ‘Civil Aviation and Air Traffic Operation’ held at the CAAB headquarters.
The CAAB Chairman stated that the physical construction of the Third Terminal is virtually complete, and repayment instalments for the project loans have already begun. Considering the overall progress, the government is eager to open the terminal by December so the public can start reaping its benefits.
However, the primary hurdle stems from delays in finalizing the agreement with the Japanese consortium tasked with managing and operating the terminal. Despite several rounds of ministerial-level discussions, the formal operation and management contract has yet to be officially signed.
Addressing the reasons for the delay and outlining future plans, the CAAB Chairman expressed optimism that the agreement with the Japanese consortium would be finalized by late August or early September. Once the agreement is signed, the operators will require time to take over and prepare for full-scale operations, making a phased or partial launch of this flagship project the most likely scenario.
