Four foreign firms shortlisted for ground handling at Dhaka airport's third terminal
Why It MattersOpening Dhaka's ground handling to foreign operators ends Biman's long-held dominance and tests whether enforceable service standards can fix baggage and turnaround delays at South Asia's busy gateway.
Four international aviation services companies have been shortlisted to operate and maintain ground handling services at the third terminal of Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, setting up competition in a sector long dominated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The shortlisted firms are UK-headquartered Menzies Aviation, Swiss firm Swissport, UAE-based dnata, part of the Emirates Group, and Türkiye's Çelebi Aviation Holding. The Japanese consortium responsible for the terminal's operation and maintenance also made the list, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) will examine the bids.
The government plans to bring the third terminal into partial operation on December 16, with flights introduced gradually. The terminal had a soft opening in October 2023 but has remained non-operational despite construction being almost complete. It has an annual passenger-handling capacity of 1.2 crore. The project cost has risen to Tk 22,213 crore after a third revision approved in September, and the completion deadline has been extended to June 2027. The airport handled more than 1.25 crore passengers in 2025.
According to CAAB officials, the candidates have outlined different plans. Menzies Aviation proposed investing more than $12 million in ground support equipment, operational technology and workforce training. Its executive vice-president for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Charles Wyley, said it planned more than 1,000 direct jobs with 99 percent local recruitment, and estimated another 4,500 indirect jobs. It also proposed an aviation training academy in Bangladesh. Menzies operates at around 350 airports in 65 countries with about 65,000 employees.
Swissport operates at 312 airports in 49 countries with around 63,000 employees and is pursuing the contract in partnership with Bangladesh's Rhythm Group. dnata provides aviation services in 35 countries; its proposed investment and recruitment plans for Dhaka have not been publicly disclosed. Çelebi Aviation Holding plans to invest in electric ground support equipment and create 1,000 to 1,500 local jobs, and indicated it could initially deploy equipment from its international operations to avoid delays. All proposals remain subject to regulatory clearance and final commercial arrangements.
The selection follows longstanding complaints about baggage delivery delays, inefficient aircraft turnaround and inconsistent ground handling at the airport. Former CAAB chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman cautioned that an international operator alone would not improve passenger services without enforceable performance standards. He recommended specific targets for baggage delivery time, aircraft turnaround time and overall service quality, with penalties for failure to meet contract terms.
