The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to suspend its activities related to turning the Cox's Bazar domestic airport into an international one.

The ministry made the decision on Thursday, after the government officially declared Cox's Bazar airport an international airport on October 13. A gazette notification was issued that day by the civil aviation ministry.

Air Commodore Noor-e-Alam, member of air traffic management at CAAB, told The Daily Star, "On Tuesday [October 21], the CAAB chairman sent a letter to the ministry. We sought guidance on what we should do regarding Cox's Bazar [airport], since we are fully ready."

"Yesterday [Thursday], the Civil Aviation Ministry Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin and Secretary Nasreen Jahan visited the airport. There, I asked them about the matter. The adviser told me to keep it suspended for now, saying an official decision would come on Sunday," he added.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, in its October 13 statement, said that the gazette notification declaring Cox's Bazar airport an international one would come into immediate effect in the public interest.

However, construction of the new terminal building -- covering about 11,000 sq ft -- has not yet been completed.

According to CAAB sources, the necessary facilities required for operating an international airport have not been fully established. Moreover, no foreign airlines have confirmed plans to operate flights to and from Cox's Bazar yet.

Biman officials earlier said they were planning to operate flights on the Kolkata–Cox's Bazar route via Dhaka later this month on a limited scale.

Launched in 2021, the upgradation project aims to transform Cox's Bazar into a full-fledged international gateway.

A separate runway expansion project -- extending the existing 6,775 ft runway to 10,700 ft to accommodate wide-body aircraft -- is progressing steadily and is scheduled for completion by December 2026.