Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka handles the majority of international arrivals into Bangladesh. The airport sits 15 kilometers north of the central business district in Kawla, Uttara. Terminal 3 opened in October 2023 with capacity for 8 million annual passengers, replacing the former international terminal. Airlines serving the airport include Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and regional carriers like Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which operates the national flag carrier. Direct flights connect Dhaka to Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and London Heathrow. Flight time from Dubai averages 4 hours 30 minutes, from Singapore 3 hours 45 minutes, from Bangkok 1 hour 45 minutes. Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong serves as the secondary international gateway with connections primarily to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, positioned 15 kilometers from the port city center.
Immigration queues at Dhaka move through electronic gates for citizens and manual desks for foreign nationals. Processing time ranges from 20 minutes during off-peak early morning arrivals to 90 minutes when multiple wide-body aircraft land simultaneously between 8 PM and 11 PM. Officers request proof of onward travel and accommodation details with irregular frequency. The arrival hall contains currency exchange counters operated by Sonali Bank and BRAC Bank, with rates approximately 2-3 percent below interbank mid-market rates. ATMs from Dutch-Bangla Bank, City Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank dispense maximum 20,000 taka per transaction, equivalent to approximately 180 US dollars at 2024 exchange rates. The machines accept Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay networks. SIM card vendors occupy booths before baggage claim selling Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink prepaid packages. A tourist SIM with 10 GB data and 30-day validity costs 400-600 taka. Registration requires passport photocopy and a local address, which hotel booking confirmations satisfy.
Baggage claim operates on five carousels with average wait times of 25-40 minutes for international flights. Customs declaration requires a green channel walkthrough for passengers with nothing to declare and red channel inspection for those carrying restricted items or amounts exceeding allowances. The green channel functions nominally as random screening occurs regardless of channel choice. Customs officers screen luggage through X-ray machines and conduct physical inspections based on profile and flight origin. Laptop computers, cameras, and mobile phones for personal use pass without declaration. Commercial quantities of electronics, gold exceeding 100 grams for men or 200 grams for women, currency above 5,000 US dollars or equivalent, and any drone equipment trigger questioning. Arriving passengers may bring 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500 grams of tobacco, two liters of alcohol for non-Muslims with applicable documentation, and gifts worth up to 300 US dollars.
The arrivals hall exits into a ground transportation area where pre-paid taxi counters, ride-hailing pickup zones, and informal drivers converge. Pre-paid taxi service costs 1,200-1,500 taka to Gulshan, Banani, or Uttara neighborhoods, 1,800-2,200 taka to Dhanmondi or Motijheel central areas. Payment occurs at the counter inside the terminal before meeting the assigned driver outside. Uber and Pathao operate pickup zones in designated parking bays 50 meters left of the exit doors. Fare from the airport to Gulshan averages 600-900 taka via Pathao, 700-1,000 taka via Uber, depending on traffic density and surge pricing. Wait times for ride-hailing vehicles range from 5 minutes at midnight to 25 minutes during evening peak hours. The apps require Bangladesh mobile numbers for registration, making SIM card purchase before exit a functional necessity. Local SIM activation completes within 10-60 minutes of purchase.
Independent taxi drivers and private car services operate in the unregulated zone beyond the organized taxi queue. Negotiation determines fares, which start at quoted rates of 1,500-2,500 taka for central destinations and settle at 1,000-1,500 taka after standard back-and-forth. These vehicles range from aging Toyota Corollas to reconditioned Nissan Sunny sedans. The airport expressway connecting the terminal to Mohakhali opened in 2022, reducing travel time to Gulshan from 90 minutes in heavy traffic to 40-50 minutes when the elevated road remains clear. Traffic congestion on surface roads begins at 7 AM and persists until 11 PM with particular density between 5 PM and 9 PM. The journey from airport to Banani takes 30 minutes via expressway at 6 AM, 75-110 minutes via surface roads at 8 AM.
Airport shuttle buses do not operate on published schedules for tourist-accessible routes. The BRTC AC bus service runs between the airport and Motijheel with stops in Mohakhali and limited posted timetable adherence. Fare costs 80 taka and the journey takes 90-150 minutes depending on traffic. Buses depart from a stand 200 meters past the domestic terminal, requiring a walk with luggage through uncovered pavement. This option functions for budget-conscious travelers with light bags and flexible schedules but carries no reliability guarantee for timing.
Currency strategy at arrival balances immediate cash needs against exchange rate efficiency. The airport exchange counters charge 2-3 percent above reasonable spreads. ATM withdrawal incurs both local bank fees of 200-300 taka and home bank foreign transaction fees varying by issuing institution. Withdrawing 20,000 taka at the airport covers taxi fare, SIM card, first meal, and incidental costs for the first day. Larger amounts convert more efficiently at established exchange houses in Gulshan, Motijheel, or Kawran Bazar commercial areas where rates approach interbank levels. Bringing 100-200 US dollars in cash provides backup should ATM networks experience downtime, which occurs with monthly frequency for periods of 2-12 hours. Hotels, restaurants, and merchants in tourist-facing areas accept US dollars but calculate exchange at rates 5-8 percent worse than market levels.
The airport departure tax formerly required separate payment but integration into ticket prices occurred in 2019. No cash payment at the airport applies for departing international passengers. Domestic flights to Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Sylhet, or Jessore depart from the domestic terminal, a separate building 400 meters from the international terminal. Walking between terminals with luggage takes 8-12 minutes across open pavement. No airside transit connection exists. Domestic check-in desks close 45 minutes before departure with strict adherence to the cutoff. Biman Bangladesh Airlines, NovoAir, and US-Bangla Airlines operate domestic routes. Advance booking costs 3,500-6,500 taka for Dhaka to Cox's Bazar depending on season and booking window.
Shaw Amanat International Airport in Chittagong positions 15 kilometers from the port city at Patenga. International flights arrive from Doha, Dubai, Muscat, and Kuala Lumpur. The terminal handles lower passenger volume than Dhaka with correspondingly shorter immigration queues averaging 15-30 minutes. Pre-paid taxi fare to Agrabad or GEC areas costs 800-1,000 taka. Pathao and Uber operate with smaller driver pools, resulting in 10-20 minute wait times. The airport serves as entry point for travelers heading directly to Cox's Bazar, which lies 150 kilometers south and requires 3.5-4.5 hours by road.
Osmani International Airport in Sylhet receives flights from London Heathrow, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat, serving the large Sylheti diaspora in the United Kingdom and Middle East. The airport sits 10 kilometers from Sylhet city center. Pre-paid taxi fare runs 500-700 taka to central neighborhoods. Direct international arrival into Sylhet makes functional sense for travelers prioritizing the tea estates, Ratargul Swamp Forest, and Jaflong stone quarries without routing through Dhaka.