Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
Shahjalal International Airport শাহজালাল আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর Śāhajālāl Āntarjātik Bimānabandar | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh | ||||||||||
| Serves | Dhaka | ||||||||||
| Location | Kurmitola | ||||||||||
| Hub for | Biman Bangladesh Airlines GMG Airlines United Airways | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 27 ft / 8 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°50′34″N 090°24′02″E / 23.84278°N 90.40056°E | ||||||||||
| Website | www.caab.gov.bd | ||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Shahjalal International Airport (formerly Zia International Airport) (IATA: DAC, ICAO: VGZR) (Template:Lang-bn), located in the capital Dhaka, is the largest airport in Bangladesh. It started operations in 1980, taking over as the country's sole international airport from Tejgaon Airport. It is the home base and hub of all airlines of Bangladesh, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, GMG Airlines and United Airways.[3]
The airport has an area of 1,981 acres (802 ha). Nearly 52% of the country's international and domestic arrivals and departures occur through this airport, while the country's second largest airport, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong, accounts for about 17% of passengers. Approximately 4 million international and 1 million domestic passengers and 150,000 tons of freight and mail pass through the airport annually.[4]
Shahjalal International Airport connects Bangladesh with many major cities of the world; Biman Bangladesh Airlines flies from the airport to 18 cities in Europe and Asia.[5]
Location
It is situated in Kurmitola, 11 NM (20 km; 13 mi) north of the capital Dhaka.
History
In 1941, during the second world war, the British government built a landing strip at Kurmitola, several kilometers north of Tejgaon, as an extra landing strip for the Tejgaon Airport, which at the time was a military airport, to operate warplanes towards the war fields of Kohima (Assam) and Burmese war theatres.[6]
After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Tejgaon Airport became the first civil airport in what was then East Pakistan, current day Bangladesh. Following the independence of Bangladesh, to accommodate the increase in air traffic, a new airport was constructed on the Kurmitola airstrip. In 1981, the airport was officially inaugurated by President Abdus Sattar. It was renamed the Zia International Airport, after the assassination of president Ziaur Rahman.
In 1992, the airport terminal area experienced rapid expansion with addition of boarding bridges and equipments. A multistorey car park with space for 500 cars was also built at this time.
In 2010 the name was changed from Zia International Airport to Shah Jalal International Airport by the Bangladesh government, named after one of Bangladesh's most respected Sufi saints, Shah Jalal.
Terminals, airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Arabia | Sharjah |
| AirAsia | Kuala Lumpur |
| Air India Express | Kolkata, Mumbai |
| Bahrain Air | Bahrain |
| Biman Bangladesh Airlines | Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Dammam, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, London-Heathrow, Muscat, Riyadh, Rome, Singapore, Sylhet |
| China Eastern Airlines | Beijing-Capital, Dubai, Kunming |
| China Southern Airlines | Guangzhou |
| Dragonair | Hong Kong |
| Druk Air | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Paro |
| Emirates | Dubai |
| Etihad Airways | Abu Dhabi |
| GMG Airlines | Abu Dhabi, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Delhi, Dubai, Jeddah, Jessore, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Riyadh, Sylhet |
| Gulf Air | Bahrain |
| Jet Airways | Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai |
| Kuwait Airways | Kuwait |
| Kingfisher Airlines | Kolkata |
| Malaysia Airlines | Kuala Lumpur |
| Pakistan International Airlines | Karachi |
| Qatar Airways | Doha |
| RAK Airways | Ras Al Khaimah |
| Royal Bengal Airlines | Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore |
| Thai Airways International | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi |
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul-Atatürk (via Karachi)*starting December 24th |
| United Airways | Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Dubai, Jeddah, Jessore, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Sylhet |
| Yemenia | Sana'a, Dubai |
Cargo airlines
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Biman Cargo[7] | Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, London-Heathrow |
| Bismillah Airlines[8] | Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen |
| British Airways World Cargo[9] | London-Heathrow , Chennai |
| Cathay Pacific Cargo | Hong Kong |
| Empost[10] | Dubai |
| Etihad Crystal Cargo | Abu Dhabi, Kolkata |
| FedEx Express[11] | |
| Midex Airlines | Al Ain |
| Qatar Airways Cargo[12] | Doha |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo[13] | Jeddah, Riyadh |
| Singapore Airlines Cargo [resumes 7 September][14] | Amsterdam, Chennai, Sharjah, Singapore |
| Sky Capital Airlines | |
| TransGlobal Airways | Clark, Fujairah |
| Yangtze River Express | Beijing |
Accidents and incidents
- August 4, 1984 a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Chittagong crashed in the swamps near Shah Jalal Airport.[15] All 45 passengers and 4 crew of the Fokker F27 died. The flight was piloted by Kaniz Fatema Roksana, the first lady commercial pilot of Bangladesh.
- March 22, 2010 a Lockheed L-1011 belonging to a cargo airline called Sky Capital Airlines, made an emergency landing due to engine fire caused by technical glitches. Nobody was injured, and the plane made it down safely.[16]
Access
The airport is connected to the Dhaka by the Tongi Diversion Road[17]. The nearest hotel near Shahjalal International is the Dhaka Regency Hotel.[18][19]
Future developments
The government is currently debating whether to build a new airport to reduce pressure on Shahjalal International Airport.[20].
Gallery
-
Hangars at Shahjalal International Airport where aircraft are stored and maintained. -
Biman's Boeing 777-200ER being loaded for its maiden commercial flight at Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh. (2010) -
The VIP lounge-2, one of four VIP lounges of Zia International Airport, now known as Shahjalal International Airport.
_parked_at_Shahjalal_International_Airport.jpg)
References
- ^ Shah Jalal International Airport - Geographical and Administration Data
- ^ Shah Jalal International Airport - Runway Physical Characteristics
- ^ Airports in Bangladesh
- ^ Dhaka Airports: Dhaka hotels and Dhaka city guide
- ^ [1]
- ^ Ahmed, Ershad (November 16, 2006). "Zia International Airport, Dhaka".
- ^ Biman Cargo :: Biman's Official Website
- ^ Bismillah Airlines
- ^ British Airways World Cargo
- ^ E M P O S T
- ^ FedEx - Locations
- ^ Qatar Airways route map
- ^ Saudi Arabian Airlines . . . A New World of Choices
- ^ [<-- Bot generated title -->
- ^ "49 Die in Bangladesh As Plane Plunges". Reuters. The New York Times. 1984-08-04. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
- ^ "Cargo aircraft catches fire at Shahjalal Airport". The Daily Star. Mediastar. March 23, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=dhaka%20airport%20road&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
- ^ http://www.dhakaregency.net/
- ^ http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=sas%20radisson%20dhaka&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
- ^ http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?page=detail_news&news_id=90238
External links
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