Shah Amanat International Airport CGP

Shah Amanat International Airport (CGP) is in the Patenga area, about 20 km from the commercial centre of Chittagong (Chattogram), Bangladesh’s second city. It is the country’s second international airport after Dhaka, and a secondary hub for Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Its runway, about 2,940 m long, can take large aircraft. It began as a military airfield in the 1940s, during the Second World War.

Terminals

There is a single terminal of about 220,000 square feet (roughly 20,000 m2), split into an international and a domestic section, each with its own boarding bridge. The international part is the larger one. There are no transfers between buildings.

Airlines and destinations

Biman is the main airline and flies to Dhaka and other cities in the country, such as Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet; US-Bangla also covers domestic routes. International routes are few and concentrated in the Gulf: Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Muscat, with carriers such as Air Arabia and flydubai, as well as Biman.

Services

The terminal has shops and places to eat, but the choice is modest. Do not expect large shopping areas or a wide range of lounges. Bring cash and the basics for waiting.

Tips

Flights to Dhaka are frequent and tend to fill up around holidays, so book ahead. For international flights, arrive about three hours early, as immigration and baggage checks can be slow. Traffic between the airport and central Chittagong can be heavy at peak times, so do not cut your transfer time fine.