Dhaka airport to operate 24/7 from May 8

Dhaka: Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital will be operational 24/7 from May 8.

Earlier, the airport kept its night operations closed for four and a half months due to runway expansion work.

The work to set up two high-speed taxiways, which began on December 10, was supposed to continue until June, but it has been completed before schedule, said Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

The airport’s new Executive Director Group Captain Mohammad Quamrul Islam on May 7 said that the runway will be operational from 1800 UTC on May 8, according to reports.

The authorities have also notified the airlines about the decision.

The closure from 12:00 am to 8:00 am, which is the busiest time for international flights, caused trouble for the airlines and passengers.

The development drew mixed reactions from aviation stakeholders who recognised the importance of renovating the runways but believed the work could have been done at the beginning of the pandemic when flight services were suspended.

- T