Country gets 1,700ft maritime runway

PBC News:  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated the expansion work of the Cox’s Bazar Airport runway as part of a project to  make it an international standard one.

The Premier virtually opened the expansion work of the country’s longest runway from her official Ganabhaban residence this morning, reports BSS.

The government has taken the initiative to upgrade the airport through extending its runway by reclaiming land from the sea so the international flights operated by wide body aircraft can land at the airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) has taken the Tk 1,568.86 crore project to construct the country’s longest runway by extending the existing 9,000-foot runway by another 1,700 on the Bay of Bengal by reclaiming land from the sea.

Upon completion of the US$ 185 million project, all types of large aircraft will be able to take off and land on the maritime runway.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) signed a deal with the Chinese joint venture of Changjiang Yichang Waterway Engineering Bureau (CYWEB) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) on February 9, 2021 to implement the crucial project.

Though the deadline to complete the construction of the project is May 10, 2024, steps have been taken to complete it by the end of 2023.

With the implementation of the project, the existing 9,000ft runway will be extended by 1,700 ft towards the Maheshkhali Channel.

On completion, the new 10,700-foot runway will allow much larger and wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 747-400 to use the airport, paving the way for the smooth operation of international flights.

The government in 2019 took the initiative to expand the runway to upgrade it to international standards and offer foreign holidaymakers the hassle-free trips to the world’s longest unbroken sea beach.

The runway extension will be built by filling some parts of the sea on the Maheshkhali channel.

After completion of the project, the new 10,700 feet runway will allow wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777 and 747 to operate at the airport paving the way for operation of international flights.

A video documentary regarding activities for development of the civil aviation sector by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and her elder daughter incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the function.