Brief History Of Osmani International Airport

Osmani International Airport, located in Sylhet, Bangladesh, was built during the Second World War in 1944-1945. The construction was part of an effort to check Japanese aggression from Burma. Initially known as Sylhet Civil Airport, it primarily served domestic flights from Shahjalal International Airport by Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited.

The airport was renamed after General M A G Osmani, the Commander in Chief of the Independence War of Bangladesh, in 1971. After years of lobbying by expatriates living in the UK, limited expansion of the airport was carried out to accommodate medium-sized aircraft, such as the Airbus A310 used by Biman. This work was completed in October 2002, and the airport was designated an international airport by the government.

However, the airport initially fell short of international standards due to shortcomings with the instrument landing system and runway lighting system. Despite these challenges, on November 3, 2002, the airport received its first international arrival. Further expansion of the runway and improvements to the airport facilities commenced in 2004 to enable wide-bodied aircraft to safely land and takeoff.

Today, Osmani International Airport is the third largest airport in Bangladesh and serves both domestic and international flights. It stands as a testament to the region’s rich history and its ongoing development in the aviation sector.