Feasibility study begins to reopen closed airports: Tourism minister
Bangladesh currently has 17 airports and aviation facilities.
The government has initiated a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the reopening of several closed and underutilised airports as part of a broader plan to strengthen domestic air connectivity and promote balanced regional development.
Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanam announced in parliament today (29 April) while responding to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain, elected from Dhaka-18.
Bangladesh currently has 17 airports and aviation facilities, including international and domestic airports, navigation installations, Bangladesh Air Force-operated bases, and former Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airfields, she said.
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Among them, three international airports — Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport, and Osmani International Airport — handle both international and domestic flights.
Five domestic airports — Saidpur Airport, Shah Makhdum Airport, Jashore Airport, Barishal Airport, and Cox's Bazar Airport — currently operate domestic flights only.
Six STOL airports built during World War II — Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Ishwardi, Shamshernagar, Cumilla, and Patuakhali — which remain closed or underutilised, said the minister.
She noted that although Cumilla Airport does not currently handle commercial flights, it still provides navigation services for international aircraft passing through Bangladeshi airspace.
Meanwhile, Tejgaon Airport remains under the control of the Bangladesh Air Force and is not used for passenger operations.
The government plans to build a nationwide air connectivity network by linking divisional and district towns through the development of small airports and airstrips, she said.
"In response to public demand, initiatives have been taken to conduct a feasibility study through local consulting firms to assess the viability of reopening closed airports," the minister said.
As part of this initiative, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has been assigned to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Bogura Airport.
Officials say the move is expected to stimulate economic activity and support more balanced regional development across the country.
