TBS
Highlights:
- Tender delays linked to CAAB leadership change
- Renovation of airport’s cargo station yet to begin
- Cargo imports now just 255 tonnes, from 13,761 tonnes in 2014
- Lack of cargo flights raising RMG costs, adds 3-5 days delay in delivery
Four months after Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport unveiled plans to launch direct export cargo flights, the initiative has stalled at the tender stage, casting doubt on whether it will take off this year.
The plan, aimed at creating direct export opportunities to Europe and China, was rolled out last April after India cancelled transshipment facilities. The airport authority also intended to renovate its existing cargo station which is currently limited to 270 tonnes of capacity.
However, work has not yet begun, and hopes for launching flights with China are still based only on verbal assurances.
Airport officials said the project has been delayed due to various reasons, including a change in the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) chairman.
Ibrahim Khalil, public relations officer of Chattogram Airport, told The Business Standard that the construction of the export cargo shed is still in tender processing and unlikely to be completed this year.
China Eastern Airlines has already inspected the airport and verbally expressed interest in launching cargo flights by the end of July, but has yet to submit a formal proposal.
The slow progress has drawn sharp comparisons with Sylhet Osmani International Airport, which began cargo flights to Spain on 27 April and has already shipped 60 tonnes of goods, prompting Chattogram traders to question why their airport’s initiative has yet to move forward.
Garment industry leaders say the lack of air cargo services in the country’s second-largest city increases both costs and lead times.
“Since commercial cargo doesn’t come to Chattogram, we have to rely on Dhaka. It takes three to five days to move goods there, sometimes longer due to congestion,” said AM Chowdhury Selim, former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
He noted that while air cargo is not a primary mode for apparel exports, it becomes essential during emergencies. “Export cargo flights from Chattogram should be launched as soon as possible,” he added.
BGMEA Director Rabiqul Alam Chowdhury echoed the call, saying that with the necessary infrastructure and security standards in place, Chattogram airport could become the country’s second major air cargo hub, boosting the national economy.
Currently, Chattogram airport can store 250 tonnes of imported cargo and just 20 tonnes of export cargo. Its cargo station has been underutilised since import flights were suspended in 2022.
Traders argue that growing industrial activity in the Chattogram, Karnaphuli and Korean EPZs, as well as the Mirsarai Economic Zone, has increased the need for air freight services. According to the traders, they have long demanded a dedicated cargo village, but the proposal remains unimplemented.
However, Voyager Aviation, the local agent of Emirates and Etihad, said meeting international standards such as the Explosive Detection System (EDS) and RA-3 certification is crucial if goods are to be shipped directly to Europe, facilities that are currently unavailable at Chittagong airport.
Decline in cargo imports
Due to the suspension of cargo flights, imports under the baggage rule, mainly daily necessities sent by expatriates, have dropped drastically.
The airport once handled over 10,000 tonnes of imported cargo annually, with a peak of 13,761 tonnes in 2014. By 2022, the figure fell to 7,233 tonnes. In 2023, imports dropped to just 232 tonnes, 327 tonnes in 2024, and 255 tonnes in the first seven months of 2025.
Chittagong Customs has almost halted imports under the baggage rule amid allegations of undeclared goods and fraud.
Meanwhile, despite the lack of dedicated cargo flights, vegetables are being exported to Middle Eastern countries via passenger aircraft.
Shipments stood at 1,591 tonnes in 2021, 3,773 tonnes in 2022, 3,082 tonnes in 2023, and 4,312 tonnes in 2024. Up to July 2025, 1,501 tonnes have been exported.
