Comilla Airport | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Serves | Cumilla | ||||||||||
Location | Bangladesh | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 26 ft / 8 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 23°26′12.5″N91°11′23.5″E / 23.436806°N 91.189861°E | ||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Comilla Airport( IATA : CLA, ICAO : VGCM) is a public use airport located near the city of Cumilla, in eastern Bangladesh.
Cumilla Airport was built by the United States in 1941−1942 during World War II. After the war, the airport catered to domestic flights. [3] Pakistan International Airlines flew from Cumilla to Dhaka and Chattogram, [4] and after independence Bangladesh Biman operated flights to Dhaka. [5] The airport became defunct in 1976. Air service resumed in 1994 but lasted two weeks due to poor demand. [3]
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, commonly known as Biman, is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the airline also operates flights from its secondary hubs at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and as well as Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. The airline provides international passenger and cargo services to multiple destinations and has air service agreements in 42 countries. The headquarters of the airline, Balaka Bhaban, is located in Kurmitola, in the northern part of Dhaka. Annual Hajj flights, transporting tourists, migrants, and non-resident Bangladeshi workers and the activities of its subsidiaries form an integral part of the corporate business of the airline. Bangladesh's air transport sector, which is experiencing an 8% annual growth rate thanks to a large number of outbound tourists, domestic tourists, and non-resident Bangladeshi travellers, is very competitive with stiff competition among some private Bangladeshi airlines as well as Biman.
Comilla District, officially known as Cumilla District, is a district located in southeastern Bangladesh. It lies about 100 kilometres south east of Dhaka. Comilla is bordered by Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj districts to the north, Noakhali and Feni districts to the south, Tripura state of India to the east and Munshiganj and Chandpur districts to the west.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is the main international airport serving Dhaka City, the capital city of Bangladesh, and it is the largest airport in Bangladesh. It is located in Kurmitola, 17 km (11 mi) from the city centre, in the northern part of Dhaka. The airport is also used as a base for the Bangladesh Air Force, named BAF Base Bangabandhu. The airport has an area of 802 hectares. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) operates and maintains the airport. It started operations in 1980, taking over from Tejgaon Airport as the principal international airport of the country. The airport was formerly known as Dacca International Airport and later as Zia International Airport, before being named in honour of Shah Jalal, who is one of the most respected Sufi saints of Bangladesh. The IATA code of the airport, "DAC", is derived from "Dacca", which is the previously used spelling for "Dhaka".
Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram is an international airport serving Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chattogram. Operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, it is the second-largest international airport in Bangladesh after Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is used by the Bangladesh Air Force as a part of 'BAF Zahurul Haq Base'. It was formerly known as MA Hannan International Airport, named after Awami League politician M. A. Hannan, but was renamed on 2 April 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh, after an 18th-century Islamic saint, Shah Amanat. It is capable of annually handling 1.5 million passengers and 6,000 tonnes of cargo. It also serves as a base for the Arirang Flying School.
Barishal Airport is a domestic airport in Bangladesh serving the southern city of Barishal as well as Barishal division. The airport is located 12 km north of Barishal city centre just beside Dhaka - Barishal Highway.
Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, is the third largest airport in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority and is served by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the national airline, which at one point earned most of its revenue from this airport. Private airlines Novoair and US-Bangla Airlines operate domestic flights to Dhaka.
Cox's Bazar Airport is a 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. Cox's Bazar Airport is undergoing massive expansion, which is due to be completed by 2023.
Jashore Airport is a domestic airport in Jashore, Bangladesh that is operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority. It is also used by the Bangladesh Air Force as part of BAF Matiur Rahman Base and training airfield for the Bangladesh Air Force Academy. Currently, it has seven daily flights to Dhaka and a weekly flight to Cox's Bazar. It is the only operational airport of the Khulna Division and the fifth busiest airport of Bangladesh. The airport is located 6 km west of downtown Jashore.
Shah Makhdum Airport is a domestic airport serving Rajshahi, the principal city of the Rajshahi Division in Bangladesh. The airport is located at Nowhata, about 10 kilometers north from city center of Rajshahi and named after Sufi saint Shah Makhdum Rupos. The airport also serves as a base for two flying training academies.
Saipur Airport is a domestic airport located in Saidpur, Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Novoair, Air Astra & US-Bangla Airlines operate flights to Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar.
Tejgaon Airport, officially BAF Base Bashar, is a Bangladesh Air Force military base in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Army also uses this military base. It is also the National Parade Square of Bangladesh. It served as the country's sole international airport prior to the construction of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) functions as the regulatory body for all aviation related activities in Bangladesh. It is the civil aviation authority operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation & Tourism. All nine operational airports are operated by the CAAB. A member of International Civil Aviation Organization, it has signed bilateral air transport agreement with 52 states. It is headquartered in Kurmitola, Dhaka.
The history of aviation in Bangladesh began with kites, the traditional heavier-than-air man-made object, that is flown by one or more people while staying on the ground. The first recorded manned flight was arranged by the Dhaka Nawab Family in 1892, which resulted in the death of the flyer.
Comilla, officially spelled Cumilla, is a metropolis on the banks of the Gomti River in eastern Bangladesh. Comilla was one of the cities of ancient Bengal. It was once the capital of Tripura kingdom. Comilla Airport is located in the Dulipara area of Comilla city Although it is currently replaced with Comilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ). Comilla City is a division centered city district with surrounding districts coming to Comilla in more diverse areas of work. Bibir Bazar land port is located 5 km away from Comilla city. The area of Comilla City Corporation is 53.04 square kilometers, so the surrounding areas of the main city fall under the jurisdiction of the City Corporation. The urban areas falling outside the city corporation are considered as suburbs with a population of 600,000.
BAF Station Shamshernagar or BAF Station Moulvibazar is a one of nine Bangladeshi Air Force bases and a former public airport located 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of the town of Moulvibazar, Bangladesh. It is the only airport in Sylhet Division other than the Osmani International Airport. Due to the short length of the runway it is restricted to STOL aircraft. As of July 2015, no scheduled passenger flights serve the airport, but civil air operations are allowed with prior approval.
On 5 August 1984, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27-600 crashed into a marsh near Zia International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh while landing in poor weather. The aircraft was performing a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Patenga Airport, Chittagong and Zia International Airport, Dhaka.
Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Abdul Ghaffar Mahmud is a former chief of the Bangladesh Air Force. He negotiated the release of hostages from the hijacked Japan Airlines Flight 472. For his role in keeping the situation under control and securing the lives of every single passenger, the Japanese government conferred upon him the "Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star" awards.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight 147 was a scheduled flight from Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh, to Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates, via Chittagong. On 24 February 2019, the aircraft operating the flight, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 737-800, was hijacked 252 kilometres (157 mi) southeast of Dhaka by lone wolf terrorist Polash Ahmed. The crew performed an emergency landing at the Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong where Ahmed was shot dead by Bangladeshi special forces. One flight attendant was shot at during the hijacking, but there were no other reported casualties among the 134 passengers and 14 crew on board.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight 060 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Dhaka Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport, Bangladesh to Yangon International Airport, Myanmar. On May 8, 2019, the Bombardier Q400 aircraft skidded off the runway upon landing, breaking into three sections. There were no fatalities, but 18 of the 28 passengers on board including 5 crew members were injured: the aircraft was also declared a hull loss, making it the tenth hull loss of a Q400 aircraft.