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Frequent load shedding leaves Chattogram Airport in darkness at night
Published : Thursday, 20 August, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Observer Online Desk
Collected Photo
Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport has been experiencing frequent power outages as electricity generation declines amid the ongoing gas crisis, with the airport facing load shedding up to 10 to 12 times a day, officials said.
Despite having two emergency power feeders from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), the airport cannot remain outside the load-shedding schedule because of the electricity shortage in the national grid.
The frequent outages are affecting various activities at the airport and have drawn criticism from passengers on social media. However, airport officials said flight operations and other critical activities are not being disrupted because of alternative power arrangements.
Officials said the airport switches to its own generators whenever the main power supply goes out. However, the generators take around 30 to 40 seconds to start. As a result, parts of the airport temporarily become dark when power fails at night.
Operational equipment, including those used for flight-related activities, has separate UPS backup systems. Therefore, officials said, there has been no major disruption to aircraft take-offs, landings or other critical operational activities.
Officials concerned said reduced gas supplies have disrupted power generation at several power plants across the country, directly affecting the national grid. In recent weeks, gas supply in Chattogram has reportedly fallen to nearly half of demand.
Chattogram requires around 350 million cubic feet of gas per day for normal operations, but on some days the supply has dropped to 180-190 million cubic feet, according to officials.
The supply situation from the floating LNG terminals in Maheshkhali is considered an important factor behind the gas crisis in Chattogram. On August 19, reports said gas supply through the pipeline from the Excelerate Energy terminal had been suspended due to a shortage of LNG cargo, further reducing gas availability to the national grid.
The gas shortage has already affected residential consumers, industries and CNG filling stations in Chattogram, as well as electricity generation. Reduced output from gas-fired power plants has increased load shedding in different parts of the city, with reports of prolonged power outages in several areas in recent weeks.
An airport official said the facility was also experiencing some load shedding like other parts of the country, affecting its day-to-day activities to some extent.
Airport Public Relations Officer Engineer Ibrahim Khalil said Chattogram airport has two emergency PDB power lines. However, when both fail, the airport has to switch to its own generators, which take 30 to 40 seconds to become operational.
“During this period, parts of the airport may become somewhat dark,” he said, adding that operational equipment has separate UPS backup systems. As a result, there has been no disruption to flight-related operations, with the problem mainly affecting lighting.
-HIS
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
