Civil Aviation Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said preparations are underway to inaugurate Cox’s Bazar International Airport in November, expressing hope that the airport would play an important role in developing Cox’s Bazar into an international-standard tourism hub.

He made the remarks at a meeting on launching international flights at the newly built Cox’s Bazar International Airport, held in the conference room of the ministry at 11 am on Monday.

The meeting featured an open discussion on infrastructure development at the newly built airport and the requirements for launching new international flights.

Country managers of domestic and foreign airlines shared their views on introducing direct flights.

The minister also said Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, is relatively close to Cox’s Bazar. As Yunnan is landlocked, direct air links between Cox’s Bazar and Kunming could present a promising opportunity for China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.

AirAsia is also working to launch direct flights between Cox’s Bazar and Penang. The minister welcomed flydubai’s interest in launching a Cox’s Bazar–Bangkok–Dubai flight, adding that the government was considering offering financial incentives to airlines to introduce new routes.

Earlier, at a press briefing with journalists, the minister said the attack in Riyadh had temporarily disrupted air travel not only in Bangladesh but also around the world. The cancellation of 10 flights had disrupted the journeys of more than 3,400 passengers.

He said the relevant officials had been instructed to take necessary measures to reduce passenger suffering. “This is a global crisis. I hope we’ll be able to overcome it with everyone’s cooperation,” he added.