Third terminal: Dhaka's Shahjalal Airport to partially open Terminal 3 with 4 flights on 16 December
At a glance
- The government aims to partially open Shahjalal Airport's third terminal on 16 December.
- It will start with 4 flights, 2 arrivals and 2 departures, and add more step by step.
- Agencies were told to finish immigration booths, baggage belts, scanners and trial runs on time.
The long wait for the third terminal at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport may soon be over. If preparations go to plan, Terminal 3 will partially open on Victory Day, 16 December. At first it will handle 4 flights: 2 arrivals and 2 departures.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat announced the plan at a preparatory meeting in the conference room of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on Saturday, 14 November. CAAB later confirmed it in a press release.
What the meeting decided
The minister described opening the terminal as an important government commitment and told all agencies involved to finish their preparations on time. He said he hoped coordinated efforts would meet the 16 December target, adding that work to make the terminal fully operational would continue after the initial launch.
The meeting stressed finishing these tasks quickly:
- Opening the required immigration booths
- Installing baggage belts and the necessary scanners
- Running trial operations
- Signing the related agreements
Who attended
Attendees included Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nurunnahar Chowdhury, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Ahsan Habib, Invest Bangladesh Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Dhaka-18 MP SM Jahangir Hossain and Gias Uddin, the Prime Minister's special assistant on civil aviation and tourism. The Daily Star reports that representatives of the Japanese consortium involved in the terminal were also present.
Why it took so long
Most of the terminal's infrastructure was ready long ago. It was partially inaugurated in October 2023, but passenger services never began. Delays in decisions on ground handling, logistics, training and system calibration pushed the opening back repeatedly. Japan's development agency JICA financed most of the project, and a consortium of Japanese and Korean companies built it.
Once fully running, the terminal is expected to multiply the airport's annual passenger capacity. Passengers have long complained about crowding, long immigration queues and slow baggage delivery at the two existing terminals.
Timeline
- October 2023: Terminal 3 partially inaugurated, but no passenger services.
- 14 November 2026: Preparatory meeting announces a partial opening on 16 December.
- 16 December 2026 (target): Operations begin with 2 arrivals and 2 departures.
- Next phase: Flights added step by step towards full operation.
What changes for passengers
Only a handful of flights will use the new terminal at first, so for most travellers nothing changes yet. It has not been announced which airlines' flights will move to Terminal 3. Anyone flying in or out of Dhaka in December should check the terminal on their ticket and in airline messages to avoid confusion.
What happens next
The main challenge now is getting immigration, customs, scanning and baggage systems fully ready within a month. Priyo News 24 will update this report once the first airlines and a date for full operation are announced.
FAQ
When will the third terminal at Shahjalal Airport open?
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat says the terminal will partially open on 16 December if preparations go to plan.
How many flights will use the third terminal at first?
According to CAAB, it will start with 4 flights: 2 arrivals and 2 departures. The airlines involved have not been announced yet.
When will the terminal be fully operational?
The minister said work towards full operation will continue after the initial launch, with flight numbers rising gradually. No official date for full operation has been announced.
Do passengers need to do anything now?
No. Airlines will tell passengers if their flight uses the new terminal. If you travel in December, check the terminal shown on your ticket or airline messages.
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