Shahjalal International Airport

Official full name Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, formerly Zia International Airport, শাহজালাল আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর, located in the capital Dhaka, is the largest airport in Bangladesh. It started operations in 1980, taking over as the country's sole international airport from Tejgaon Airport. It is the home base and hub of all airlines of Bangladesh, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, GMG Airlines, and United Airways.

The airport has an area of 1,981 acres (802 ha). Nearly 52% of the country's international and domestic arrivals and departures occur through this airport, while the country's second largest airport, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong, accounts for about 17% of passengers. Approximately 4 million international and 2 million domestic passengers and 150,000 tons of freight and mail pass through the airport annually.

Shahjalal International Airport connects Bangladesh with many major cities of the world; Biman Bangladesh Airlines flies internationally from the airport to 13 cities in Europe and Asia.

Location

The airport is located in Kurmitola, 11 NM (20 km; 13 mi) north of the capital Dhaka.

History

In 1941, during the second world war, the British government built a landing strip at Kurmitola, several kilometers north of Tejgaon, as an extra landing strip for the Tejgaon Airport, which at the time was a military airport, to operate warplanes towards the war fields of Kohima (Assam) and Burmese war theatres.

After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Tejgaon Airport became the first civil airport in what was then East Pakistan, current day Bangladesh. Following the independence of Bangladesh, to accommodate the increase in air traffic, a new airport was constructed on the Kurmitola airstrip. In 1981, the airport was officially inaugurated by President Abdus Sattar. It was renamed the Zia International Airport, after the assassination of president Ziaur Rahman.

In 1992, the airport terminal area experienced rapid expansion with addition of boarding bridges and equipments. A multistorey car park with space for 500 cars was also built at this time.

In 2010 the name was changed from Zia International Airport to Shah Jalal International Airport by the Bangladesh government, named after one of Bangladesh's most respected Sufi saints, Shah Jalal.