Cox's Bazar Airport

"CXB" redirects here. For the astronomical phenomenon, see cosmic X-ray background.

For other uses, see Cox's Bazar (disambiguation).

Cox's Bazar Airport কক্সবাজার বিমানবন্দর
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 10,700 3,200 Asphalt
Statistics (August 2022)
Passengers 42,091
Source:[1]

Cox's Bazar Airport (IATA: CXB, ICAO: VGCB) is an domestic airport in the resort town of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. It is in the process of being upgraded to an international airport. The airport serves the residents of Cox's Bazar as well as tourists to the region.^[2] Cox's Bazar Airport is undergoing massive expansion, which is due to be completed by 2023.^[3]

History

During World War II, the British Raj established an airfield near Cox's Bazar. It was converted into a domestic airport by the central government of Pakistan in 1956, seven years after the city was incorporated into the Pakistani province of East Bengal (later East Pakistan).^[4] The airport was damaged during the Bangladesh Liberation War and was renovated and reopened in 1972.^[5] According to civil aviation sources, in 2009 the government had planned to rapidly modernize the airport to accommodate fighter jets, if required.^[6]

Expansion and development

Since 2012, plans to upgrade and expand the airport to allow international arrivals have been under way.^[7][8] Once completed, it will be the fourth international airport in Bangladesh.^[9] The two phases of upgrading will let the airport provide better facilities for parking, landing, and take-off for wide-body aircraft such as the B777 or the A330. The first phase of the upgrade cost ৳6 billion (US$50 million).^[10]

Under the first phase in 2012, the runway was lengthened from 6,775 feet to 9,000 feet and widened from 120 feet to 200 ft (61 m).^[11] The runway's load capability was strengthened and the runway lighting also received an upgrade. Equipment such as instrument landing system, distance measuring equipment, AMeDAS, and VOR was installed.^[12] Aircraft Refueling (JET A-1) facilities were available from February 2017 by Standard Asiatic Oil Company Limited, an enterprise of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.^[13]

Under the second phase, the runway is being expanded by an additional 1,700 feet from its current 9,000 ft (2,700 m) by reclaiming land from the sea. An approximately 1,300-foot stretch of the runway's expanded portion would be over the sea.^[14]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations	Refs.
Air Astra	Dhaka	[15]
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	Chittagong, Dhaka, Saidpur,[16] Sylhet[17]	[18]
Novoair	Dhaka, Jessore,[19] Rajshahi	[20]
US-Bangla Airlines	Dhaka, Jessore[21]	[22]

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations	Refs.
Easy Fly Express	Dhaka, Jessore	[23]
SkyAir	Chittagong, Dhaka, Jessore, Sylhet	[24]

Incidents and accidents

• On 9 March 2016 an Antonov An-26 of True Aviation crashed into the Bay of Bengal shortly after take-off.^[25]

See also

• List of airports in Bangladesh

References

1. "Bangladesh Air Traffic Movement: Passenger: Aerodrome: Cox's Bazar". Retrieved 10 January 2020.
2. "Biman to launch Sylhet-Cox's Bazar flight from Nov 12". Dhaka Tribune. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
3. Abdul Aziz (5 December 2022). "Runway project to transform Cox's Bazar into aviation hub". www.dhakatribune.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023.
4. Barua, Sunil (3 August 2023). "সাগরজলে দেশের দীর্ঘতম রানওয়ে চালু হচ্ছে ডিসেম্বরে". Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 25 August 2023.
5. "২০২৪ সালের জুনে আন্তর্জাতিক ফ্লাইট ওঠানামা করবে কক্সবাজার বিমানবন্দরে". Cox's Bangla (in Bengali). 7 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
6. "PM wants fighter base at Cox's Bazar: report". 6 September 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
7. "'Cox's Bazar Airport to be made international one'". The Daily Star. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
8. "Cox's Bazar International airport to be upgraded: Minister". The Daily Star. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
9. "Expansion work of Cox's Bazar International airport to start this year: Minister". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
10. "Steps taken to upgrade Cox's Bazar International Airport". The News Today. 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
11. "PM to open Cox's Bazar Airport runway expansion project Sunday". The Business Standard. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
12. "$200m Chinese loan for Cox's Bazar International Airport dev". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
13. "Aircraft Refueling Facilities at Cox's Bazar Airport".
14. "PM to open Cox's Bazar Airport runway expansion project Sunday". The Business Standard. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
15. "Air Astra kicks off domestic flights today". The Business Standard. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
16. "Biman flights on Saidpur-Cox's Bazar route start 7 Oct". The Business Standard. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
17. "Biman to launch Sylhet-Cox's Bazar flight from Nov 12". 12 November 2020.
18. "Flight Schedule -Biman Bangladesh". www.biman-airlines.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
19. "Novoair starts direct flights between Jessore and Cox's Bazar". www.dhakatribune.com. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
20. চট্টগ্রাম ও বরিশালে ফ্লাইট বাড়াল নভোএয়ার. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
21. "US-Bangla to add more domestic flights on new routes". The Business Standard. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
22. সৈয়দপুর, রাজশাহী ও বরিশালে ইউএস বাংলার অতিরিক্ত ফ্লাইট. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 11 December 2019.
23. "Easy Fly Express routes". Easy Fly Express.
24. "Sky Capital Cargo destinations". Skycapitalcargo.com.
25. "Russian pilot dead as cargo plane crashes into sea in Bangladesh". Xinhua. 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

External links

Media related to Cox's Bazar Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Cox's Bazar Airport
• Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh: Airports
• Cox's Bazar Airport on Yellow Pages