Construction of Dhaka airport's third terminal progressing in full swing, says minister
Officials say the soft launch of the much-awaited terminal is expected within October next year
Construction of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) is progressing in full swing, said State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali.
"44.15% of the total construction work is complete as of 12 September. The construction will be completed within the stipulated time," the minister said after visiting the project site on Monday (12 September).
Expressing hope that the terminal can be inaugurated by October 2023, he said, "Passengers will get the same quality services at the third terminal that are offered in world-class airports."
"There will be no compromise with quality," he said of the project being implemented by Mitsubishi and Fujita of Japan, and Samsung of South Korea.
Around 4,000 national and international workers are working on the project, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Once completed, the terminal can serve twice the number of passengers compared to its present capacity.
After completion of the project, HSIA will be able to provide service to around 22 million passengers every year.
Among others, Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Mokammel Hosain, and CAAB Chairman Air Vice-Marshal Mafidur Rahman were present.
When the third terminal is completed, it will double the airport's annual passenger and cargo handling, said the authority.
According to project sources, the terminal is being constructed on 542,000 square metres of land and will have a floor space of 230,000 square metres, 115 check-in counters, 64 departure and 64 arrival immigration desks.