Letter issued to suspend int'l flights at Cox's Bazar Airport

 
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has suspended scheduled international flights at Cox's Bazar Airport in line with a government decision. According to a press release issued by the ministry on Tuesday, the directive was made through an official letter signed by the ministry's Civil Aviation-1 Wing on Monday. The statement read, "The letter also requested that Cox's Bazar Airport not be used for non-scheduled international flights or emergency landings until the resumption of international flight operations."

The ministry instructed the concerned authorities to take necessary measures to implement the directive properly.

The decision to suspend operations came only 12 days after Cox's Bazar Airport received official recognition as an international airport.

On Oct 13, the government had issued a notification granting Cox's Bazar the status of the country's fourth international airport.

The plan to upgrade the airport in the coastal resort town to international standards began in 2021 under the Awami League government, as part of a broader push to attract foreign tourists and develop Cox's Bazar as a global destination, reports bdnews24.com.

Under the project, the airport's runway was extended from about 2,065 metres to 2,743 metres (6,775 feet to 9,000 feet).

Although the change of government created uncertainty over several development initiatives taken by the previous administration, construction at Cox's Bazar Airport continued without interruption.

In March this year, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus visited the site to inspect progress.