Online Desk: The runway of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka will remain closed for five hours each night for the next two months starting tomorrow for renovation of the runway lighting system. Kamrul Islam, executive director, HSIA told The Daily Star that flight operations in the country’s largest airport will be closed from 2:00am to 7:00am everyday till April 2.

Flights of different airlines have been shifted to other times of the day, he added. Usually, seven to eight flights operate in this window and shifting of those flights will create additional pressure. To handle this pressure, the authorities have asked for better coordination, so that passengers do not have to be stuck at the airport for a long time. Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) took the initiative to upgrade the Instrument Landing System (ILS) of the airports in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar to Category-2 so that flights can land at those airports despite fog.

Kamrul Islam said, the airport authority has taken plans for flight management in coordination with the related government and private institutions including the airport traffic department to make the journey of passengers smooth and uninterrupted. The authorities have also formed monitoring teams for implementation the plans.