Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport is experiencing frequent load-shedding as a gas shortage cuts electricity generation, with power reportedly going off 10 to 12 times a day, airport officials said.
The interruptions are affecting parts of the airport’s routine operations, particularly lighting. Passengers have expressed frustration on social media after experiencing sudden power cuts, especially at night. Airport authorities, however, said the disruptions have not affected aircraft take-offs, landings or other critical operational activities because backup power arrangements are in place.
The airport has two emergency feeder connections from the Power Development Board (PDB). Despite these dedicated connections, officials said the facility cannot be completely excluded from load-shedding when there is a wider shortage of electricity on the national grid.
When the main power supply is interrupted, the airport switches to its own generators. The generators typically require between 30 and 40 seconds to come into operation. During that brief interval, sections of the airport can be left without lighting, creating visible darkness inside the facility at night.
Critical operational equipment is supported by separate uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. These backups help ensure that equipment essential to aviation operations continues functioning even when the main electricity supply is interrupted.
Engineer Ibrahim Khalil, the airport’s public relations officer, said the two emergency power lines provided by the PDB were not sufficient to prevent interruptions during periods of a broader power shortage.
He said the generator has to be started whenever the electricity supply fails, and the 30-to-40-second transition period causes temporary problems with lighting. However, equipment used for operational activities has separate UPS support, meaning aircraft movements and other aviation-related operations have not faced significant difficulties.
The recurring power cuts are linked to a wider gas supply crisis in Chattogram. Officials said reduced gas availability has forced several gas-fired power plants to lower their generation, putting additional pressure on the national electricity grid.
The situation has become particularly challenging in Chattogram, where gas supplies have reportedly fallen to around half of the level required for normal operations on some days. The city and surrounding areas are estimated to require about 350 million cubic feet of gas a day, while supply has at times dropped to between 180 million and 190 million cubic feet.
The shortage is affecting several sectors. Residential consumers, industrial facilities and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations are among those facing the consequences of reduced gas availability. Lower gas supplies to power plants have also contributed to increased load-shedding in different parts of the city, with reports of prolonged outages in recent weeks.
The supply situation has also been linked to liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure at Maheshkhali. On 19 August, reports emerged that gas transmission through the pipeline from Excelerate Energy’s terminal had been halted amid a shortage of LNG cargo. The interruption further reduced the availability of gas in the national supply system.
For an international airport, reliable electricity is essential not only for passenger facilities but also for lighting, communications, security systems and other operational equipment. The backup arrangements at Shah Amanat International Airport are therefore playing a key role in keeping critical functions running during the outages.
Airport officials acknowledge that the repeated power cuts are causing some disruption to normal activities, but maintain that the impact is currently concentrated mainly on general lighting rather than aviation operations.
As the gas shortage continues to affect power generation, the airport remains dependent on its emergency feeders, generators and UPS systems to maintain essential services. For passengers, however, the repeated outages — and the darkness that follows a power cut at night before the generator starts — remain a visible sign of the wider electricity and gas supply pressures facing Chattogram.
