Barishal Airport (IATA: BZL, ICAO: VGBR) is a domestic airport located in the southern city of Barisal in Bangladesh. GMG Airlines, Royal Bengal Airlines and United Airways previously operated flights to Dhaka from this airport.[3] In April 2015, the national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines resumed weekly flights after nine years.[4]
Barisal Airport বরিশাল বিমানবন্দর | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh | ||||||||||
Location | Barisal | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 10 ft / 3 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 22°48′04″N 90°18′04″E / 22.80111°N 90.30111°E | ||||||||||
Website | barisalairport | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
BZL Location of airport in Bangladesh | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (January 2018 – January 2018) | |||||||||||
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The airport is located close to Barisal city in Rahamatpur area of Babuganj Upazila.[3]
Before it was re-constructed, there was a huge demand for an airport in the region, for quicker travel to the capital Dhaka.[3] Local organisations held many strikes and demonstrations for its construction.[3] The airport was finally built in 1985 on 163 acres of land, at a cost of BDT 4 million.[3] It was officially inaugurated by the then president Abdur Rahman Biswas on 3 December 1995.[3] Aero Bengal Airlines, a private airline, was the first airline to launch flights to the airport.[3] The national carrier, Biman, started their services in November 1995.[3]
In 2007, the airport played a significant role during the relief operation in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr in November 2007, thus virtually saving thousands of lives of the cyclone-affected people. The airport was instrumental in international relief goods, including drinking water, rice, blankets and other life-saving materials, reaching the devastated victims of the cyclone.[3][5]
The airport has served 158,987 passengers between 1995 and 2009. Over 20,000 flights including passengers, training, cargo and other flights had operated from the airport.[3] The airport saw highest number of passengers in 1999 and highest number of flights in the year 2000.[3]
Airlines | Destinations | Refs. |
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Biman Bangladesh Airlines | Dhaka | [6] |
Novoair | Dhaka | [7] |
US-Bangla Airlines | Dhaka | [8] |