The third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will change the country's image through world-class passenger services, said Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman today.

  "Around 90% of the construction of the much-anticipated terminal has been completed till today. It is ready for partial inauguration by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 7  October,"  he told reporters at a press briefing on the progress of the project at the newly constructed terminal on Monday (2 October).                                                     

"Initially, only airlines will be able to avail of its services by parking. The terminal is expected to be open to passengers at the end of next year," he added.                                               

"The terminal building is now visible. Work on interior decoration and the installation of various equipment has almost finished. Some equipment has to be attached as the process is underway to make all these things functional," said the CAAB chairman.

He said authorities are working on systems integration which will continue even after the soft launch.

"Two aspects of this are equipment systems and manpower readiness," Marshal M Mafidur Rahman said. 

Construction of the Tk21,300-crore project started in December 2019 and according to the initial plan, the terminal should be open to the public by April 2024.

Upon completion of the third terminal, Dhaka Airport's annual passenger and cargo handling capacity is expected to double.

It can accommodate approximately 24 million passengers (including the old terminal) and handle 500,000 tonnes of cargo each year.