(MENAFN- Bangladesh Monitor) Dhaka : The Third Terminal with modern facilities will help expand international air connectivity of the country.
Prime Minister sheikh Hasina said this while addressing the soft inauguration of the iconic Third Terminal at Dhaka Airport on October 7.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled a plaque at the soft opening ceremony held at the airport's Third Terminal premise in the capital.
The air link will boost international trade, commerce and business significantly as the government gives utmost priority to the development of the Aviation sector, further said the Premier.
Besides Dhaka and Cox's Bazar Airports, all other airports of the country such as Sylhet, Chattogram, Saidpur, Jashore, Barishal and Rajshahi are being expanded and modernised.
Apart from these, steps have also been taken to strengthen inter-district air connectivity to help tourism flourish further, she said.
About modernisation of the aviation sector, she said the government is going to set up new radar system to ensure safety and security for airways and France has been assigned to do that.
The Premier said they have already started installing pipeline to bring jet fuel directly to Dhaka Airport which will save time and money alongside protecting the environment.
She said they will build a dependent runway in the near future at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport if required.
She said they have prepared a master plan to ensure improved services at the airports for which consultants have already been appointed.
She said her government had established Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University (BSMRAAU) in Lalmonirhat which will help further develop the country's aviation industry.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Masahiro Komura, Civil Avia-tion and Tourism Secretary Mokammel Hossain and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman spoke at the ceremony while Minister of Land, Infrastruc-ture, Transport and Tourism of Japan Saito Tetsuo was also present on the occasion.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, MoCAT State Minister Md Mahbub Ali, Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain and CAAB Chairman M Mafidur Rahman, seen, among others, at the soft opening ceremony of T3 at HSIA on October 7
The Prime Minister later went round the Terminal Three and visited its different sections as she was briefed about the facility. She also took part in a dress rehearsal of passing the immigration by checking-in her luggage and she was given a boarding pass too.
A video documentary on the Third Terminal was screened at the function. Another video documentary on the activities of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh was also screened.
Earlier, on her arrival at the Third Terminal premises, the Premier was received by the State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism. A group of children welcomed the Head of the government by singing and dancing.
90 per cent construction work of the new terminal has been completed. The third terminal will be fully operational for passengers at the end of 2024 after completion of systems integration and calibration works.
The Third Terminal features immaculate floor and eye-catching patterns on ceiling with very sophisticated enough natural light.
The 12 boarding gates with double entry bridges of the Third Terminal will be operational by 2024 while the additional 14 boarding bridges are expected to be installed afterwards.
Covering an area of 542,000sqm, the Third Terminal will have a floor space of 230,000sqm with housing 115 check-in counters, 66 departure immigration desks, 59 arrival immigration and three VIP immigration desks.
Upon full-fledged operation of the Third Terminal, Dhaka Airport's annual passenger and cargo handling capacity is expected to double.
The annual passenger handling capacity of the HSIA would be 24 million (including the old terminals) compared to the current eight million and the airport will be able to handle 500,000 tonnes of cargo each year.
The construction work of 37 new aircraft parking area and two taxiways connecting to the apron area have already been completed.
The Third Terminal is designed to connect with a multimodal transport system to enable passengers to enter and exit the international airport smoothly.
The new terminal will be connected to the elevated expressway, underground railway (MRT-5, Kamlapur to airport portion) and also with the airport railway station through an underground tunnel.
Besides, hajj pilgrims will be able to access the Third Terminal from Ashkona hajj camp through an underground tunnel.
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