Thai Air to manange Bangladesh airport from Sept

DHAKA (Reuters) - Thai Airways will take up operations and management of Bangladesh's second biggest international airport, in the port city of Chittagong, from next month, the Thai foreign minister said on Sunday.

"Thai Airways will take up management of the Chittagong Shah Amanat Internatinal Airport from September 1," Kantathi Suphamongkhon told reporters after talks with Bangladesh Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan.

Kantathi arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a two-day visit to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.

Thai Airways signed a management contract with Bangladesh's Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) late last year, but the deal was delayed due to protests by trade unions.

"The trade unions will no more oppose the transfer of the management as we convinced them that the new management will not retrench existing employees," a senior official of BCAA said.

Thai Airways won the deal at nearly $10 million to manage the airport in Chittagong for a period of ten years.

It will provide passenger services, ground equipment services, cargo services and catering services. It will also operate, maintain, and manage the airport terminal building, ramp handling, cargo handling, airport security, maintenance and upkeep of buildings, a Thai embassy official said.

Previously used for domestic flights only, Chittagong airport was upgraded into an international airport in 2002.

Source: Reuters - 7 August 2006

An interesting example of diversification........

Running an airport is not the same as landing there.

First order of business will likely be adding a golf course between the runways.