The authorities have postponed the four-month repair work on the runway of Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The repair work was scheduled to start in December. It will now take place from March 10 to June 10, 2022, forcing a daily eight-hour halt on flight operations from 12 am Bangladesh time during that time, the airport authorities announced on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
The authorities will build a high-speed taxiway during the repair work, according to a notice sent to airline companies.
They made the previous announcement on Nov 10, just as air traffic returned to normal after more than a year of pandemic-induced disruptions at the only international airport in the capital.
The development drew mixed reactions from stakeholders who recognised the importance of renovating the runways but believe the work could have been done at the beginning of the pandemic when flight services were suspended.
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, air travel has been restricted around the world as most commercial carriers were grounded, with only cargo flights remaining in operation.
The situation was no different in Bangladesh but a year and a half into the pandemic, most international flight routes are now open.
According to airport officials, the busiest time for international flights is between 12 am and 8 am.
As many as 25 flights are set to depart Dhaka during that period on Nov 11, 15 of which are international departures.
The construction of the third terminal at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport is going on amid the coronavirus pandemic. The piling work at the site is almost done. –bdnews24.com file photo
