Country's aviation sector to turn into regional hub: Civil Aviation Minister

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat has said work has begun to transform Bangladesh's aviation sector into a regional aviation hub. He said the aviation sector is extremely important to the goal of turning Bangladesh's economy into a trillion-dollar economy by 2034. Alongside upgrading the country's airports to international standards, multiple initiatives have been taken in passenger and cargo management, aircraft maintenance and repair, and tourism sector development.

He said this at a conference titled 'World-class Aviation in Bangladesh's Economic Progress', organised by Bonik Barta at the United Convention Centre in Kurmitola, the capital, on Saturday evening, September 12.

The aviation minister said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we have begun the work of transforming the country's aviation sector into a regional aviation hub. Our goal is to turn Bangladesh's economy into a trillion-dollar economy by 2034. The aviation sector is very important in this progress. Many have said the airport is the mirror of a country. We must move out of the state in which we received this sector. We are ready to do the work for that."

Highlighting the failure in developing tourism in the country, the minister said people are not interested in coming to Bangladesh. There are many problems behind this. Although Bangladesh has everything needed for tourism, including rivers, seas and forests, these have not been properly managed. Therefore, emphasis is being placed on advancing the tourism and aviation sectors together.

He said a modern aviation hub requires a good airport, all cargo facilities, all passenger service facilities and other international-standard amenities. After 42 years, initiatives have been taken to change various civil aviation rules. Work is underway to review and bring positive changes to the rules that create obstacles for stakeholders.

Recalling his recent experience of inspecting AirAsia's operations, the minister said he saw MRO, aircraft, operations and turnaround management there. He saw firsthand how an aircraft turnaround is done in just 25 minutes and how operations are run at low cost.

He said currently, if a Bangladeshi aircraft breaks down, it has to be sent to India or Singapore for repair. After repair, it is brought back and relevant rules must be followed. Necessary changes will be brought to the Civil Aviation Act and rules to build aircraft repair and maintenance capacity in Bangladesh. The active participation of airline representatives must be ensured in formulating the rules. "You will tell us how you can work easily. We will finalise the matters through meetings with your suggestions. Steps will be taken to resolve the complexities in the maintenance and repair of complex aircraft parts," he said.

Noting that the country's aviation sector was found in a fragile and chaotic state, the minister said reducing passenger harassment is one of the government's goals. Measures have also been taken regarding the long wait for luggage at the airport. Earlier, passengers had to wait up to one and a half to two hours to get their luggage. Now that time has reduced significantly. The situation improved after instructions were given to unload passengers and cargo quickly together. Instructions have been given to open two cargo doors simultaneously along with the passenger doors. As a result, after monitoring the situation over five days, it was found that no passenger had to wait more than 40 minutes for luggage. Body-worn cameras are being used to enhance airport security and service quality.

Regarding the launch of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the minister said the previous government had cancelled the project. The current government has revived it. Considering the potential losses feared due to the cancellation of the approximately $2.1 billion project, discussions have been held again with Japan.

He said after the Prime Minister took office, five meetings were held with Japan, accompanied by the Chairman of Invest Bangladesh, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Minister. These discussions were held with Japan's ministerial-level representatives, the minister concerned with aviation infrastructure, the Japanese Ambassador and related representatives. These initiatives were taken to implement the project in the country's interest.

The minister said politicians must always prioritise the country's interest. "I have become a minister, what else do I have to gain? Even if my highest political goal is to become prime minister, I must still think of the country first. The aviation sector must be modernised like an international airport. Shahjalal Airport currently has the capacity to serve 1.2 crore passengers. Once the third terminal opens, this capacity will exceed 2.4 crore passengers," he said.

The conference was conducted by Bonik Barta Editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, Managing Director of US-Bangla Airlines Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun and Chairman of Total Air Services Limited KM Mujibul Haque also spoke at the event.

At the conference, former CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal (retd) Mahmud Hossain presented the keynote paper on 'World-class Aviation in Bangladesh's Economic Progress'. Policymakers, experts, diplomats, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders from various domestic and international organisations associated with the aviation sector also participated in the event.

US-Bangla Airlines was the gold sponsor of the conference.