Dhaka airport to get separate terminal for VVIPs

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will get a separate terminal for very very important persons (VVIPs), which was originally included in the ongoing third terminal project design but discarded later.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) decided to re-include the terminal under the project after some careful consideration of VVIP safety and hassle-free movements of ordinary passengers.  

According to Caab sources, the VVIP terminal will now be built on the western side of the airport runway at an estimated cost of Tk283 crore ($29 million), which will be drawn from the leftover fund of the airport's third terminal project involving a whopping Tk21,399 crore.

"The decision to construct a separate terminal has been reconsidered to ensure 24-hour service for VVIPs. Besides, it will ease movements of ordinary passengers at the airport, reducing pressure on other terminals," said Md Mahbub Ali, state minister for civil aviation and tourism.

"We do not need additional funds to build the terminal as Tk800 crore ($82 million) have already been saved in the third terminal project," he told The Business Standard.

The government approved the third terminal project in late 2017 at an estimated cost of Tk13,610 crore. Two years later, the project cost was revised up to Tk21,399 crore.

The construction of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is progressing in full swing. Officials say the soft launch of the much-awaited terminal is expected by the end of next year.

A plan for the construction of a separate VVIP terminal on the Nikunja side of the airport was included in the initial design of the project, which was later scrapped considering that the security of VVIPs can be compromised. Instead, Caab decided to provide services for VVIPs from inside the third terminal.

The authorities, however, changed their decision again as they think providing services to VVIPs at general terminals will disrupt the round-the-clock operations of the airport. 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on 19 September sent a letter to the Planning Commission, saying Tk1,889 crore ($201 million) is needed for the construction of the VVIP terminal and boarding bridges' pier extension work.

Of the amount, $172 million will be required for pier extension and $29 million for construction of the VVIP terminal, said the letter.

The letter also mentioned that after the revision of the project with the cost of two additional items, it will be sent to the Planning Commission for forwarding to the National Economic Council Executive Committee (Ecnec) meeting.

The third terminal area will increase from 2,30,000 square metres to 2,60,000 square metres if the proposed two infrastructures are implemented, according to Caab sources.

Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation and Fujita Corporation and Korean Samsung Company are implementing the development project.