The highly anticipated world-class third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) will be partially inaugurated on October 7.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman announced the date during a press conference on Tuesday noon at the under-construction third terminal.
“We were informed yesterday (August 7) by the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) that the premier will inaugurate the third terminal at a soft opening on October 7,” the CAAB chief said.
However, he said, passengers will be able to fully use the third terminal by the end of 2024.
“We want to complete 90 percent of the third terminal project before October 7, and we are optimistic that the work will be finished ahead of schedule,” added the CAAB chairman.
On June 27, the CAAB Chairman said that the construction progress of the third terminal is 77.5%.
The terminal’s interior has been designed by renowned architect Rohani Baharin, who has previously worked on projects including Terminal 3 of Changi Airport in Singapore, the ATC Tower Building in Guangzhou, China, Ahmedabad International Airport in India, and the Terminal Building of Islamabad International Airport.
The Dhaka Airport expansion project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 24, 2017, with financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Initially estimated to cost Tk 13,610 crore, the budget for the large-scale third terminal project was later increased by an additional Tk 7,788.59 crore.
Once completed, the new terminal, spanning an area of 5,42,000 square metres, will feature a parking apron capable of accommodating 37 aircraft. However, the main highlight will be the modern terminal building, integrating state-of-the-art technologies within its 2,30,000 square metre of interior space.