Aviation market to grow threefold in next 15 years: State minister

Aviation market of Bangladesh has grown nearly twofold in the last 10 years and it will grow almost threefold in the next 15 years, State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali said today.

He was speaking at a function marking the inauguration of the newly constructed terminal building of Jashore Airport.

The state minister said the investment in the country's aviation sector has increased due to the policy support from the present government.

"As per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's directives, the country's aviation industry is growing rapidly. This has been possible because of infrastructural development, technical and human skills development and timely formulation of laws and policies."

The PM is working tirelessly to make Bangladesh one of the aviation hubs of the world, Mahbub added.

"Our aim is to transform Bangladesh's aviation industry into a smart one under the leadership of the prime minister. The smart aviation industry will play an important role in building a developed and Smart Bangladesh," he added.

He said a safe and comfortable environment is being created for passengers at all airports in the country by ensuring the quality and safety of passenger services.

Jashore Airport, established as an airfield during World War-II and launched as a domestic airport in 1960, has undergone extensive development work in the last 14 years, the state minister said.

He said with the construction of this new terminal, passengers will now get more advanced and modern air services. This airport will also play a role in the expansion of tourism industry and other economic activities in the region.

The new terminal building has been built under a Tk 32 crore project of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). The airport will now have the capacity to handle 1 million passengers annually.

The new terminal building has eight check-in counters, five luggage scanning machines, five archways, a VIP lounge and a car parking.

CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mafidur Rahman also spoke at the event.