Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong on Thursday received the international recognition certificate from International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) after 13 years of its establishment.
The certificate will be effective from October 31 this year and will remain valid till October 31, 2015, said airport sources.
Air Vice-Marshal Mahmud Hossain, chairman of Civil Aviation Authority in Bangladesh (CAAB), also the local representative of ICAO, handed over the certificate to Wing Commander Nur-E-Alam, manager of Shah Amanat International Airport, at around 12pm.
Nur-E-Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that the airport had been locally qualified as an international airport before receiving the award; however, it has now received proper recognition from the ICAO.
He said they had received the certificate today [Thursday], however, it would be announced formally on November 10.
A vigilance team, led by SM Nazmul Anam, director of Flight Safety and Regulations Department of CAAB, comprising of Superintendent Engineer AKM Maksudul Islam, Executive Engineer Suvashish Barua, Shirin Sultana and Aiyub Khan, had inspected the airport and the ICAO provided the certificate following the report filed by the vigilance team, the manager added.
According to airport sources, the airport was set up as air field during the British regime in 1940 but little development had been conducted before the liberation of Bangladesh.
A runway, which was 762 metres in width and 3048 metres in length, was set up in 1977-78 and it was upgraded in 1984-85 while different establishments including terminals were set up after the cyclone on April 29, 1991 as the airport was mostly damaged.
The first initiative for developing the airport was taken in 1996 by signing an accord with Japan for technical and financial assistance. According to the treaty, development started from March 12, 1998, which was concluded on December 11, 2000.
After that, the airport was known locally as an international airport but it had no recognition from ICAO.