Cox’s Bazar Airport: Runway to be stretched to the sea
The government has taken up a project to extend the runway of Cox's Bazar airport by claiming land from the sea.
The Tk 1,568.86-crore project aims at upgrading the airport to international standards and offering foreign holidaymakers a hassle-free trip to the world's longest sea beach.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually lay the foundation stone for the extension to be built on the sea at Cox's Bazar Airport on August 29.
Once done, the 11,700 feet runway will be the country's longest, where wide-bodied planes like the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 747-400 will be able to take off and land, which is crucial for long-haul international flights.
CAAB on February 9 signed a deal with China's Changjiang Yichang Waterway Engineering Bureau (CYWEB) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to implement the project.
According to project documents, the construction should be completed by May 10, 2024.
The contractor will extend the existing 9,000ft runway towards the Maheshkhali Channel through coastal land claiming.
Officials said the CYWEB-CCECC has mobilised their resources on the site after the signing of the contract with CAAB.
The detailed design is being made and construction of temporary facilities like a site office, road network, jetty, and concrete batching plant has made significant progress.
CAAB officials said the main construction work will begin after the prime minister lays the foundation stone.
State-of-the-art technology will be used to build the runway by claiming land from the sea. It will include an airfield ground lighting system, instrument landing system, safety walls and a bridge over the Bakkhali river, CAAB officials added requesting anonymity.
The cabinet committee on purchase on December 30, 2020, approved the proposal of the civil aviation and tourism ministry to appoint the joint venture of the aforesaid Chinese entities for physical work.
Mahbub Ali, state minister of the civil aviation ministry, said, "The dream is to transform Cox's Bazar Airport into a hub."
He added that this was among the most crucial initiatives taken to develop Cox's Bazar as an international tourist destination.
The project will be implemented with the government's own fund.
Cox's Bazar Airport was launched as a domestic airport in 1956.
This airport, about 1.5km from Cox's Bazar city, occupies 941 acres.
Biman Bangladesh, US-Bangla and Novoair operate domestic flights to Cox's Bazar Airport.
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