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 services both local residents of Cox's Bazar as well as tourists to the region. In November 2020, Biman Bangladesh Airlines started flight between Sylhet to Cox's Bazar, which was in a first, a direct flight between two cities without any connecting flight from Dhaka.[2]

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]

Expansion and development

Cox's Bazar Airport is in the process of being upgraded to an international airport in order to attract more tourists.[3][4] This will make it the fourth international airport in Bangladesh.[5] 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 the upgrade cost ৳6 billion (US$71 million) .[6] The second phase of the upgrade will cost US$230 million.

Under the first phase in 2012 the airport's runway lengthened from 6,790 feet to 9,000 feet, and widened from 150 feet to 200 feet. The runways load capability was strengthened for wide-body operation, while the runway lighting also received an upgrade. Equipment such as instrument landing system, distance measuring equipment, AMeDAS and VOR was installed.[7] Aircraft Refueling (JET A-1 ) Facilities were available from February 2017 by Standard Asiatic Oil Company Limited, an Enterprise of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.[8]

Under the second phase the runway will be expanded from 9000 feet to 12000 feet.[9] Inspired by Hong Kong International Airport, the government in Bangladesh undertook the ambitious runway expansion 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 requires expertise possessed by only a few companies worldwide. In 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	Chittagong, Dhaka, Sylhet[10]	[11]
Novoair	Dhaka	[12]
Regent Airways	Dhaka	[13]
US-Bangla Airlines	Dhaka	[14]

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations	Refs.
Easy Fly Express	Dhaka, Jessore	[15]
SkyAir	Chittagong, Dhaka, Jessore, Sylhet	[16]

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.[17]
• On 9 March 2016 an Antonov An-26 of True Aviation crashed into the Bay of Bengal shortly after take-off.[18]

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. "'Cox's Bazar Airport to be made international one'". The Daily Star. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
4. "Cox's Bazar International airport to be upgraded: Minister". The Daily Star. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
5. "Expansion work of Cox's Bazar International airport to start this year: Minister". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
6. "Steps taken to upgrade Cox's Bazar International Airport". The News Today. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
7. "$200m Chinese loan for Cox's Bazar International Airport dev". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
8. "Aircraft Refueling Facilities at Cox's Bazar Airport".
9. "Cox's Bazar airport gets new passenger departure lounge". The Daily Star. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
10. "Biman to launch Sylhet-Cox's Bazar flight from Nov 12". 12 November 2020.
11. "Flight Schedule -Biman Bangladesh". www.biman-airlines.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
12. চট্টগ্রাম ও বরিশালে ফ্লাইট বাড়াল নভোএয়ার. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
13. "Regent Airways Flight schedule". Regent Airways.
14. সৈয়দপুর, রাজশাহী ও বরিশালে ইউএস বাংলার অতিরিক্ত ফ্লাইট. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 11 December 2019.
15. "Easy Fly Express routes". Easy Fly Express.
16. "Sky Capital Cargo destinations". Skycapitalcargo.com.
17. "Accident: United Airways AT72 at Coxs Bazar on Jul 20th 2014, nose gear collapse". The Aviation Herald. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
18. "Russian pilot dead as cargo plane crashes into sea in Bangladesh". Xinhua. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

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