Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is the largest international aerodrome of Bangladesh. It is located in Kurmitola, in the northern part of the capital Dhaka, 17 kilometers from the city centre. The airport is also used as part of the Bangladesh Air Force Base. The airport has an area of 802 hectares. Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB) operates and maintains the airport. As the country’s main international airport, it was taken over from Tejgaon Airport and started operating in 1980.
The airport basically consists of three main terminals. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are for international flights and are both located in the same building. A third adjacent terminal building, known as the Domestic Terminal, is for domestic flights. A VIP terminal building is located to the right of the international terminals. The VIP terminal was built only about 200 meters from the main gate and serves private jet passengers.
The airport was known as Dacca International Airport and later Zia International Airport before being named in honor of Shah Jalal, one of Bangladesh’s most revered Sufi saints. Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is the main hub of national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines. It is also the home base for most of the private airlines in Bangladesh, including Regent Airways, Novoair and US-Bangla Airlines.
Bangladesh private jet charter prices
Although Hazrat Shahjalal Airport air charter fees depend on variables such as the number of passengers, departure airport, flight time, aircraft position, flight date, the prices for private jet charter from Istanbul → Dhaka are as follows.
| Heavy Jet | 92.000 EUR |
| Long Range Jet | 109.000 EUR |
| VIP Airliner | 201.500 EUR |
These prices are average amounts and you can contact us on our flight reservation screen or by phone for the most accurate price information.
History of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
In 1941, during the World War II, the British government built a landing strip at Kurmitola, a few kilometers north of Tejgaon, as a backup landing pad for Tejgaon Airport, which was then a military airport, to direct warplanes to the Kohima (Assam) and Burmese battlefields
Following the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, Tejgaon Airport became the first civilian airport in what was then East Pakistan and present-day Bangladesh. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war, the then-abandoned aerodrome was bombed by IAF bombers which was thought to be the Tejgaon Air Base. In 1966, a project to build a new airport was taken up by the then Pakistani Government and the existing area north of Kurmitola was chosen. Under the technical support of French experts, a tender was made for the construction of the terminal building and the runway. A train station (today’s Airport Train Station) was also built near the site for the transport of construction materials. However, when the Bangladesh Liberation War broke out in 1971, the new runway was only halfway completed. During the war, the runway was severely damaged.
Following independence, the Bangladeshi government resumed work abandoned by previous contractors and consultants during the war. The government decided to make the airport the country’s main international airport and appointed France’s Aéroports de Paris firm as their new advisor. The airport became operational in 1980 after the main runway and the middle part of the existing terminal building were officially opened as Dacca International Airport by the then President Ziaur Rahman. The project took another three years to complete, during which time Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in 1981. Thus, after its completion in 1983, President Abdus Sattar reopened the airport as Zia International Airport. In 2010, the government changed the name of the airport once again from Zia International Airport to Shahjalal International Airport in honor of Shah Jalal, one of Bangladesh’s most revered Sufi saints.
Places to visit in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh
With a dizzying mix of the ancient and the modern, friendly locals and a wealth of historical artifacts on almost every corner, Dhaka is like a corner of paradise.
Among the main tourist spots of the city are Lalbagh Fortress, which was built in 1678 and has survived to the present day, Sonargaon, which was used as an administrative center by Muslim rulers in the 13th century, Ahsan Manzil, which was built during the Mughal period and attracts attention with its architecture, Bangladesh National Martyrs’ Monument, which was built in the name of those who lost their lives during the Bangladesh Liberation War, Sixty Dome Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Dhakeshwari National Temple, which was built by the Sena king Ballal Sen in the 12th century.
Transport information for Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
If you want to travel from the airport to the city by public transport, you can choose between bus and train. The bus stop and train station are a 10-minute walk from the International Terminal and Domestic Terminal. The bus gives you the opportunity to travel in many different directions, but the train is faster. The largest railway station in Dhaka is Kamalapur Railway Station in the east of the city.
Many places in Bangladesh can be reached by bus from Dhaka, and there are three major bus stations in the city. Buses to the west of the country depart from Gabtali Bus Station, buses to the north depart from Mohakhali Bus Station, and buses to the east depart from Sayedabad Bus Station.
Taxis are also available to reach the city centre. Taxis located at the port exit have taximeters. In addition, there are offices of different car rental companies in the port. However, as Dhaka is one of the busiest cities in the world, it may take much longer to reach the center by car or taxi.
