By Xinhua
Dhaka : Bangladesh loses over four billion taka (around $57 million) annually as more than 60 percent passenger-handling capacity of Dhaka’s Zia International Airport (ZIA) remains unutilised.
Aviation experts and industry insiders said the earning of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) from ZIA would be tripled if the airport’s full capacity could be utilized, as more international airlines want to operate from here, The Daily Star reported Sunday.
CAAB’s income from ZIA was 2.21 billion taka (around $31.6 million) in the fiscal year 2006-07 and 1.6 billion taka (around $22.9 million) in 2005-06, CAAB Chairman Air Commodore Sakeb Khan Majlis was quoted as saying.
Operation of more international airlines would have also created employment opportunities at the airport.
Experts blamed the government’s protective policy about Bangladesh’ national airlines Biman, inefficiency in ground handling at ZIA and lack of marketing initiatives for missing these opportunities.
With its present infrastructure, ZIA is capable of handling around 8.5 million passengers yearly, while 150 planes can take off and land at the airport every day.
But, according to an analysis of last five years, ZIA has handled 3.2 million passengers yearly on an average with 50 flights carrying around 8,500 passengers to different international destinations daily, sources in the civil aviation ministry and CAAB said.
An official from the CAAB said: “Biman’s capacity has decreased because of the management’s inefficiency although increase of passengers has been significant. Foreign airlines have increased their fares taking this advantage.”
Allowing more airlines could bring competition, which could ultimately result in the decrease in the airfare and improvement of service standards.
Bangladesh has three international airports including ZIA in capital Dhaka, one in the southeastern port city Chittagong and another in the northeastern city of Sylhet.