Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport (Shah Amanat International Airport) was established as an airfield in the early forties. Originally built during the Second World War to refuel Allied warplanes, the airfield gradually evolved into an airport.

After independence in 1972, it was used as a commercial domestic airport. When Bangladesh Biman began transporting passengers to Dubai and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, this airport gradually turned into an international airport in 1990. However, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recognized the airport as an international airport after almost 23 years on 31 October 2013.

Before that, the modernization work of this airport started in March 1998 with the financial and technical support of the Japanese company JICA. At a cost of Taka 570 crore (US$ 51.57 million), this work took about two years to complete - up to December 2000. Chittagong MA Hannan International Airport started its journey in 2001 with a new look.

From 1996 to 2001, the name of this airport was Chittagong MA Hannan International Airport. But when the BNP government came to power for the second time, the name of this airport in Chittagong was changed to Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport.

Most of the runways and facilities of the old airport were handed over to the Air Force.

All facilities of an international airport including new facilities of international standards, runways, modern communication system. In this huge airport building with an area of 9,643 square feet with a height of four floors, all domestic and international passenger pick-up and drop-off systems are kept at the same time. But as required number of international and famous airlines did not start flying, at one point 40 percent of the facilities of this modern airport started to remain unused. For this reason, the government decided to hand over the management of this airport to Thai Airways International. Besides making this airport profitable by giving long-term leases, there is a plan to make the region a major tourist attraction by transporting more passengers through Chittagong. Now, apart from passenger transportation on international routes, goods are also being transported to various destinations around the world through this Chittagong airport. Emirates Sky Cargo and Etihad Cargo are handling this cargo. In addition to international flights, AirArabia, Fly Dubai, Malinda Airlines and Omar Air are taking passengers to various destinations around the world. 

How to go 

This airport is located on the banks of river Karnaphuli at Patenga, Chittagong, 20 km from GEC intersection of Chittagong city and 18.5 km from Chittagong railway station.