Bangladesh Slashes Airline Surcharge to 14.25% to Ease Financial Pressure.
Government cuts annual airport surcharge from 72% to about 14%, a major relief for struggling domestic airlines.
The Government of Bangladesh has significantly reduced the annual airport surcharge rates applied to airlines operating at the country’s eight civil airports. Under amended rules issued by the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, the maximum effective surcharge on delayed payments for aeronautical charges has been cut from an annual 72% to around 14.25%.
The revised surcharge structure applies to various airport services — including landing, air navigation, parking, embarkation, runway use, control room services, and terminal facilities — collected by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). Under the new system, airlines have 30 days from bill issuance to pay without penalty, with staged lower surcharge rates thereafter, replacing the earlier regime which rapidly accumulated high penalties.
Industry leaders and local carriers have welcomed the move, saying such a drastic reduction will ease the long-standing financial burden on domestic airlines and align Bangladesh’s aviation fee structure more closely with regional norms. The change is expected to help improve liquidity, encourage competition, and strengthen airline operations, though it may not immediately lower airfares.
