Barishal Airport
Barishal Airport is a domestic airport in Bangladesh serving the southern city of Barisal as well as Barisal Division. The airport is located 12 km north of Barisal city centre alongside the Dhaka - Barishal Highway.
Location
The airport is located close to Barisal city in the Rahamatpur area of Babuganj Upazila.History
Before it was re-constructed, there was a huge demand for an airport in the region for quicker travel to the capital, Dhaka. Local organisations held many strikes and demonstrations to press for its construction. The airport was finally built in 1985 on 163 acres of land, at a cost of BDT 4 million. It was officially inaugurated by the then president Abdur Rahman Biswas on 3 December 1995. Aero Bengal Airlines, a private airline, was the first airline to launch flights to the airport. The national carrier, Biman, started their services in November 1995.In 2007, the airport played a significant role during the relief operation in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr in November 2007, virtually saving thousands of lives of the cyclone-affected people. The airport was instrumental in international relief goods, including drinking water, rice, blankets, and other life-saving materials, reaching the devastated victims of the cyclone.
In April 2015, the national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines resumed weekly flights after nine years.