The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the first revision of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), 1st phase, Project with an additional cost of Tk 77.89 billion to cope with the increasing air traffic.
With the latest cost hike, the overall expenditure for this project now stood at Taka 213.99 billion from the original outlay of Taka 136.10 billion.
The approval came from the 12th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area on Tuesday.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of seven projects were approved involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 92.41 billion.
Of the approved seven projects, five are new while two revised.
The planning minister said the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is implementing the project, which is to be completed by June 2025.
The main project operations include extension of the existing Airport as well as meeting the future demand of air traffic and thus ensuring international standard security for this Shahjalal International Airport.
According to the Planning Commission, the passenger handling capacity of this airport is now 8 million per year and the number of passengers is expected to reach 14 million by 2025 and 24.8 million by 2035.
The feasibility study conducted by the Yooshin (Korea)-CPG-(Singapore)-DDC (Dhaka) JV, suggested that the terminal, runway and cargo facilities of the airport be upgraded to meet the growing number of passengers and cargo transport.
The main project operations include construction of a 3rd passenger terminal having a space of 2,30,000 square metres with 115 check-in counters, 64 departure immigration, 64 arrival immigration, 27 baggage ex-ray machines, 40 cabin ex-ray machines, 12 boarding bridges, 16 conveyor belts and 11 body scanners.
Besides, there will be new car parking facility for 1230 vehicles, 63,000 square meter new import and export cargo complex, 5,42,000 square meter parking bay for 37 aircraft, connecting taxiway works and rapid exit taxiway works alongside land development and other necessary works.
The design for the airport has been slightly changed under this project as the VVIP terminal would now be attached to the main terminal building.
The Planning Minister said the current HSIA is now under pressure due to the increasing air traffic and that is why the Airport is being extended.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to discourage the trend of visiting foreign countries of the project officials time and again.