Cox's Bazar Airport

Cox's Bazar Airport (IATA: CXB, ICAO: VGCB) is a domestic airport in the resort town of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The airport serves mostly tourists.

Cox’s Bazar Airport
IATA: CXB ICAO: VGCB
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	People's Republic of Bangladesh
Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh
Serves	Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
Elevation AMSL	12 ft / 4 m
Coordinates	21°27′07″N 091°57′50″E
Website	www.caab.gov.bd
Map
CXB Location of airport in Bangladesh
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 17/35 9,000 2,743 Asphalt
Statistics (January 2018 – January 2018)
Passengers 5,39,267
Source:[1]

Upgrade

The airport is in process of being upgraded to an international airport, in order to attract more tourists,[2][3] which will make it the fourth international airport in Bangladesh.[4] The two phases of upgrading, will make the airport able to provide better facilities for parking, landing and take-off for wide-body aircraft such as B777 or A330. The first phase of upgrading cost was ৳6 billion (US$71 million).[5] The second phase of upgrading cost is US $230 million.

In 2012 under the first phase the airport's runway expanded from 6,790 feet to 9,000 feet, and widened from 150 feet to 200 feet. The runway's load capability will be strengthened for wide-body operation, while the runway lighting will also get an upgrade. Equipment such as instrument landing system, distance measuring equipment, AMeDAS and VOR will be installed.[6] Aircraft Refueling (JET A-1 ) Facilities is available from February 2017 by Standard Asiatic Oil Company Limited, an Enterprise of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.[7]

Under 2nd phase the runway will be expanded from 9000ft to 11000 ft. Inspired by Hong Kong International Airport, the government in Bangladesh took the ambitious project to expand the runway at the Cox’s Bazar airport by reclaiming land from the sea in a bid to woo tourists to the beach town. Building such a runway on sea is not only expensive but only a few companies in the world have the expertise to construct runways extending from shore to sea. June 2020 CAAB (Civil aviation authority of Bangladesh) selected CRCC Harbour-CCECC a Chinese joint venture after scrutinizing their technical and financial proposals for the tender.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations	Refs.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	Dhaka, Chittagong	[8]
Novoair	Dhaka	[9]
Regent Airways	Dhaka	[10]
US-Bangla Airlines	Dhaka	[11]

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations	Refs.
Easy Fly Express	Dhaka, Jessore	[12]
SkyAir	Chittagong, Dhaka, Jessore, Sylhet	[13]

Incidents and accidents

• On 20 July 2014 the nose gear of an ATR 72-200 of United Airways collapsed after safely landing in the airport, en route from Dhaka.[14]
• On 9 March 2016 an Antonov An-26 of True Aviation crashed shortly after take-off into the Bay of Bengal.[15]

See also

• List of airports in Bangladesh

References

1. "Bangladesh Air Traffic Movement: Passenger: Aerodrome: Cox's Bazar". Retrieved 10 January 2020.
2. "'Cox's Bazar International Airport to be made international one'". The Daily Star. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
3. "Cox's Bazar International airport to be upgraded: Minister". The Daily Star. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
4. "Expansion work of Cox's Bazar International airport to start this year: Minister". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
5. "Steps taken to upgrade Cox's Bazar International Airport". The News Today. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
6. "$200m Chinese loan for Cox's Bazar International Airport dev". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
7. "Aircraft Refueling Facilities at Cox's Bazar Airport".
8. "Flight Schedule -Biman Bangladesh". www.biman-airlines.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
9. "চট্টগ্রাম ও বরিশালে ফ্লাইট বাড়াল নভোএয়ার". প্রথম আলো (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
10. "Regent Airways Flight schedule". Regent Airways.
11. "সৈয়দপুর, রাজশাহী ও বরিশালে ইউএস বাংলার অতিরিক্ত ফ্লাইট". প্রথম আলো (in Bengali). Retrieved 11 December 2019.
12. "Easy Fly Express routes". Easy Fly Express.
13. "Sky Capital Cargo destinations". Skycapitalcargo.com.
14. "Accident: United Airways AT72 at Coxs Bazar on Jul 20th 2014, nose gear collapse". The Aviation Herald. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
15. "Russian Antonov An-26 Cargo Plane Crashes In Bangladesh, Pilot Dead, 2 Others Missing". International Business Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

External links

Media related to Cox's Bazar Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Airport information for VGCB at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh: Airports