Official full name Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport(formerly Zia International Airport) (IATA: DAC, ICAO: VGZR) (Bengali: শাহজালাল আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর), located in the capital Dhaka, is the largest airport in Bangladesh. It started operations in 1980, taking over as the country's sole international airport from Tejgaon Airport. It is the home base and hub of all airlines of Bangladesh, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, GMG Airlines and United Airways.
The airport has an area of 1,981 acres (802 ha). Nearly 52% of the country's international and domestic arrivals and departures occur through this airport, while the country's second largest airport, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong, accounts for about 17% of passengers. Approximately 4 million international and 1 million domestic passengers and 150,000 tons of freight and mail pass through the airport annually.
Shahjalal International Airport connects Bangladesh with many major cities of the world; Biman Bangladesh Airlines flies from the airport to 18 cities in Europe and Asia.
The Maitree Express (Bengali: মৈত্রী এক্সপ্রেসHindi: मैत्री एक्सप्रेसMoitri Ekspres) or Dhaka-Kolkata Express is a passenger train serving the railway connecting the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and India's West Bengal province's capital Kolkata and it is the only railway link between the cities of the two nations and has been revived after being closed for 43 years. The name Maitree Express means the Friendship Express, denoting the significance of the train service to the foreign relations between India and Bangladesh.The inauguration of the train service was held on the occasion of the Bengali New Year (পহেলা বৈশাখ Pôhela Boishakh) April 14, 2008.
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