Bangladesh to modernise air traffic management system

With an aim to secure the country's airspace, the government is going to install a state-of-the-art radar system at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) will build an iconic 45 metre high Control Tower and install an Air Traffic Management Centre at the Dhaka airport, equipped with a security system providing CCTV coverage and access control on an integrated platform.

The CAAB's controllers will work with the latest automation technologies to support the future growth of air traffic in the country.

The project is expected to be completed by 2024.

Paris based Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies, will build the infrastructure, having signed a contract with the CAAB, Bangladesh, on 21 October in Dhaka, in the presence of State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mohammad Mahbub Ali and French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean Marin.

The modernisation of the country's Air Traffic Management system project will involve the renovation of the en-route, approach and tower system at Shahjalal Airport in Dhaka, with equipment to be also installed at other regional airports throughout Bangladesh.

Thales will provide complete new automated systems including ATC automation, primary and secondary radars, datalink and countrywide VSAT communications and terrestrial network as backup to VSAT.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali told the Business Standard, "As a result of installing the new sophisticated radar and ATC Tower, the entire airspace of the country would be brought under surveillance, aviation will be more secure and revenue from the aviation sector will increase. It will also be possible to identify all the foreign aircraft traveling on international routes using the skies of Bangladesh and flying over charges can be collected from them."

The state minister said, "Through this project, more equipment related to communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management will be installed, in addition to the radar and ATC towers. This will remove the current technical constraints on air navigation in the country and also meet the obligations of international airlines. The country's air navigation will be time-befitting and of international standard."

Thales Bangladesh Country Director Benoit Nalin said, "The CAAB has trusted Thales' ATM technology since the 1980s when we first provided our ATM systems to help secure the skies in Bangladesh. Since then, we have established a strong working relationship, with periodic upgrades to our Top Sky ATC and radars over the last two decades. I am proud that Thales has been selected once again to support CAAB on this next milestone, where we will undertake a full overhaul of the country's ATM system, to improve the safety and efficiency of the entire civilian airspace."

This project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on 8 August this year.

In 2019, Asia-Pacific was the largest market for passenger travel to Bangladesh, followed closely by the Middle East and Europe.

Over the past year, the number of passengers on domestic routes in Bangladesh returned to pre-pandemic levels.