English News Dask : Aircraft refueling has begun at Cox’s Bazar Airport prior to it being upgraded to an international airport at the end of this year.

Chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) ABM Azad inaugurated the refueling programme by supplying 1,200 litres of fuel oil to an aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Sunday (3 September).

The authorities of Padma Oil Company Limited said that a total of 6,400 litres of fuel was supplied to three flights bound for Sylhet and Dhaka at Cox’s Bazar Airport on Sunday. Now refueling activities will be carried out every day at Cox’s Bazar Airport.

BPC Chairman ABM Azad said that Cox’s Bazar is a tourism hub. That is why, the Bangladesh government has declared to make Cox’s Bazar Airport an international airport.

After the airport becomes international big aircrafts will land here, which will ultimately increase the demand for fuel.

Keeping that in mind, aircraft refueling has begun.

ABM Azad said Padma Oil Company Limited has been involved in refueling operations for many years. They have been given the responsibility of aircraft refueling management at Cox’s Bazar Airport as well.

“They have started operations on Sunday. I believe, this refueling system is very necessary to cover the growing demands of this economic hub, or tourism hub.”

Shahidul Alam Chowdhury, assistant station manager of private airline Air Astra in Cox’s Bazar, said it often becomes a problem if aircrafts carry extra fuel from Dhaka. Again, if there is a hostile weather, there is a shortage of fuel in the aircraft. But now as the refueling operation has started, the problem of fuel will be removed.

Musa Ahmed, in-charge of Cox’s Bazar station of private airline US Bengal, said that the refueling of aircraft at Cox’s Bazar Airport will prevent wastage of both time and money. At the same time passenger service quality will also increase.

The authorities of Padma Oil Company Limited have said that the capacity of fuel oil in 3 tanks at Cox’s Bazar Airport is currently 1 lakh 15 thousand litres. It will be gradually increased to 3,000-4,000 metric tonnes in the future.