Saidpur Airport, Saidpur

---

As-Salamu Alaykum (Peace Be Upon You)

---

Saidpur Airport, Saidpur, Nilphamari

---

Today I am going to share my experience of visiting Saidpur Airport, located in Saidpur, Nilphamari. This is the airport closest to our home, so I have visited this airport several times.

Saidpur Airport is an important airport for the people of northern Bangladesh. The communication system to the airport is quite good. You can come here by bus, auto-rickshaw, car or other vehicles. If you travel by train, you can get down at Saidpur Railway Station and then take an auto-rickshaw or rickshaw to reach the airport.

I have visited the airport several times, although I have never entered the restricted areas as a passenger. I usually visited the outside areas to see the airport environment and aircraft.

---

Location

---

Saidpur Airport is located in Saidpur, Nilphamari. The airport is not very far from Saidpur town, so reaching here is quite easy.

If you come by bus, you can get down near Cantonment School and then come to the airport, which is quite close from there. If you come by auto-rickshaw, you can get down near the airport.

There is a bakery called Mawa Sweet & Meat near the airport

There are also airport buses that carry many passengers. There are also restaurants and bakeries around the airport area, so passengers and visitors can find places to eat.

---

History of Saidpur Airport

---

While visiting the airport, I noticed an official inauguration plaque. It was interesting to see an old historical record of the airport displayed there.

The official inauguration plaque of Saidpur Airport

The plaque states that the airport was officially inaugurated by the then Honorable President of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam.

The inauguration date is mentioned as 4 Shrabon 1386 BS, which corresponds to 21 July 1979.

---

Parking Facilities and fire safety arrangements

---

Car parking area

One thing I noticed during my visits is that there are plenty of parking spaces around the airport. Therefore, parking did not seem to be a major problem for passengers or visitors. You can park almost any type of vehicle quite easily without having to worry much about finding a suitable space. This is especially convenient for people who come to the airport by private car, motorcycle, or other vehicles.

Parking area for motorcycles and bicycles. This parking area is located in front of the departure area

Another parking space. There are plenty of parking spots at the airport

Fire hydrant

I also noticed that the airport has fire safety arrangements in place. Fire extinguishing equipment is available around the airport area, which is an important safety measure for a busy public place like an airport. Overall, the available parking space and basic fire safety arrangements make the airport area more convenient and safer for visitors.

---

Departure Area

---

The departure area is one of the main and busiest parts of Saidpur Airport. During my visit, I spent some time looking around this section and liked the overall appearance of the entrance and the surrounding area. The airport may not be very large compared to some other airports, but I found this area quite organized and pleasant to look at.

The departure entrance of Saidpur Airport in Bangladesh

As I walked around the departure area, I noticed several airline offices and ticket counters. Having the different airline offices in one place made the area feel active, especially for passengers who were preparing for their flights.

The office exterior of Air Astra and other airline counters. Airport-style luggage carts are placed outside the ticketing and corporate offices for visitor convenience

I also noticed luggage carts placed outside the offices and ticketing areas. These small details give the entrance a more typical airport atmosphere and are useful for passengers carrying luggage.

The ticket sales and branch offices of three prominent Bangladeshi airlines: US-Bangla Airlines, NOVOAIR, and Biman Bangladesh Airlines lined up together

Seeing the offices of US-Bangla Airlines, NOVOAIR, and Biman Bangladesh Airlines together was interesting for me. It made me realize how many different airline services are available from this airport.

Overall, I liked the atmosphere of the departure area. There was a sense of movement and activity, and the different airline offices made the entrance look more like a busy travel hub.

---

Waiting and Arrival Area

---

After exploring the departure side, I also looked at the waiting and arrival area. There is a seating area in front of the arrival section where people can sit and wait for their family members, friends, or other passengers arriving at the airport.

Seating area in front of the arrival

I think having a proper waiting space is quite important at an airport. People often have to wait for some time when receiving arriving passengers, so having a place to sit makes the experience more comfortable.

The seats in the waiting area are quite nice

I personally liked the seating arrangement. The seats looked comfortable, and the overall environment of this area felt quite pleasant. While spending some time here, I could imagine how useful this space would be for people waiting for passengers after a flight.

For me, this was one of those simple parts of the airport that may not seem very important at first, but actually makes the overall experience more comfortable for visitors.

---

Arrival Terminal

---

The arrival terminal has a modern-looking exterior, and this was one of the areas that caught my attention during my visit. I particularly liked the structure and the way the exterior looked from different angles.

A close look at the airport arrival terminal

When I looked more closely at the terminal, I noticed the combination of modern materials and large glass sections. It gave the building a clean and contemporary appearance.

Airport arrival terminal building with modern gray paneling and large glass windows

The gray paneling and large glass windows give the terminal a distinctive look. I liked how these elements worked together and made the building look different from an ordinary structure.

The exterior terminal area of Saidpur Airport. I liked the exterior area for its unique structure

From this side, I could get a better view of the exterior structure. The design caught my attention because of its shape and overall appearance.

The exterior design was actually one of the things I liked most about Saidpur Airport. It gave the airport a somewhat different character, and I enjoyed taking photographs of the building from different positions.

---

VIP/CIP Departure

---

Another part of the airport that I noticed was the separate VIP/CIP departure area. This section has its own entrance and surrounding space, giving it a somewhat different appearance from the regular departure area.

VIP/CIP departure

The entrance area was fairly open, and I found the structure interesting enough to photograph. I always like noticing these separate sections when visiting an airport because they show how different passenger facilities are arranged.

Parking space in front of the VIP/CIP departure

There is also a parking space in front of the VIP/CIP departure area. The open space in front of the entrance made it easy to get a clear view of the building and its surroundings.

---

Surrounding Area

---

The airport is surrounded by a fairly open area, which I found pleasant while walking around. Apart from the main terminal buildings, I also took some photographs from a short distance away to capture the airport from a different perspective.

A view of the airport taken from a short distance away

I liked this wider view because it gave me a better idea of the overall surroundings of the airport. Sometimes, a building looks quite different when photographed from a little farther away rather than from directly in front of it.

---

Sunshine chronometer or sunshine recorder

---

There were also a few interesting things around the airport that caught my attention while I was exploring the area. One of the things I noticed was this sunshine recorder. I found it interesting because it was something I did not expect to see while simply visiting the airport.

Sunshine chronometer or sunshine recorder

Naturally, I stopped for a moment and took a photograph of it. These small details made my visit more interesting. For me, exploring an airport is not only about seeing aircraft or terminal buildings; sometimes the surrounding objects and facilities also become part of the experience.

---

Parking Entry Fees

---

While exploring the airport, I also noticed a yellow signboard displaying the parking entry fees. I photographed the signboard because I thought this information could be useful for anyone planning to visit Saidpur Airport by road.

A yellow sign board displaying entry fees for parking at Saidpur Airport

According to the signboard, the parking fees are:

Vehicle	BDT	USD	STEEM
Bus / Minibus / Coaster	60 BDT	$0.49	8.77 STEEM
Auto / Bi-cycle Van	10 BDT	$0.08	1.46 STEEM
Car / Jeep / Microbus	30 BDT	$0.24	4.38 STEEM
Motorcycle	10 BDT	$0.08	1.46 STEEM
CNG / Baby Taxi	20 BDT	$0.16	2.92 STEEM

1 STEEM = $0.05585
1 USD = 122.64 BDT

I included these conversions mainly to make the parking charges easier to understand for international readers. The original amounts are in Bangladeshi Taka, as shown on the airport's signboard.

Of course, parking fees can change over time, so these rates should not be considered permanent. They are based on the signboard that I photographed during my visit.

---

Watching Aircraft

---

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of visiting an airport is watching aircraft. Even if I am not travelling, seeing a passenger aircraft take off, land, or move around the airport always gives me a different kind of excitement.

Passenger plane

During one of my visits to Saidpur Airport, I was fortunate enough to see a passenger aircraft from one part of the airport. I took a photograph because I wanted to keep that moment as part of my visit.

Watching the aircraft reminded me that an airport is much more than just a terminal building. There is always movement around it, passengers arriving and departing, airport staff working, vehicles moving, and aircraft preparing for their journeys.

There is also a Biman Bangladesh Airlines bus used for passengers.

Bus operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Purpose - free airport shuttle service for passengers traveling on Biman flights.

Seeing the Biman Bangladesh Airlines bus was another small but interesting part of my visit. It was nice to observe some of the services provided for passengers beyond the terminal itself.

Overall, I enjoyed this part of my visit the most. Spending some time around the airport, watching the aircraft, and observing the different activities gave me a pleasant travel experience even though I was mainly there to explore and take photographs.

---

My Overall Experience

---

I have visited Saidpur Airport several times, but I have never entered the airport as a passenger. Without a reason to enter, visitors cannot simply go into the restricted areas of the airport.

Most of my visits were around the publicly accessible areas. I have visited the airport with my friend and spent some time looking around the area.

I liked the environment. The airport is close to our home, so visiting here is quite easy for me. I also like watching aircraft, and on one occasion I was able to watch a plane from a part of the airport area.

The surrounding area also has restaurants and bakeries, which makes the area more convenient for passengers and visitors.

---

Importance of Saidpur Airport

---

Saidpur Airport is very important for the people of northern Bangladesh. It provides air connectivity for people from Saidpur and the surrounding northern districts.

At present, it is a domestic airport, with air connectivity to Dhaka. There have been plans and discussions about developing the airport further and increasing its connectivity in the future.

There has also been discussion about international connectivity with neighbouring countries such as Nepal. However, I think we need to wait and see how these plans develop in the future.

For the people of northern Bangladesh, further development of this airport would be very useful.

Another view of the airport

---

Flight Schedule- Saidpur to Dhaka

---

Airline	Flight No.	Departure (Saidpur)	Arrival (Dhaka)	Duration
US-Bangla Airlines	BS184	08:45 AM	09:40 AM	55 min
US-Bangla Airlines	BS188	10:15 AM	11:10 AM	55 min
Novoair	VQ964	10:15 AM	11:10 AM	55 min
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	BG536	11:35 AM	12:30 PM	55 min
Air Astra	2A474	11:50 AM	12:45 PM	55 min
Air Astra	2A476	03:45 PM	04:45 PM	1 hr
Novoair	VQ968	06:00 PM	06:55 PM	55 min
Air Astra	2A478	06:50 PM	07:45 PM	55 min
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	BG494	07:30 PM	08:25 PM	55 min
US-Bangla Airlines	BS192	08:45 PM	09:40 PM	55 min
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	BG496	09:10 PM	10:05 PM	55 min

The schedule information is based on currently published timetable data and can change depending on the operating date or season.

The flight schedule may change from time to time. Passengers should check with the respective airline before travelling.

---

Pros and Cons

---

Pros	Cons
Very important for northern Bangladesh	Visitors cannot freely enter restricted areas
Good communication system	Currently mainly used for domestic flights
Plenty of parking spaces	International flights are not currently available
Restaurants and bakeries are available nearby	—
Nice terminal exterior	—
Close to Saidpur town	—
Good place to watch aircraft	—

---

Final Thoughts

---

Saidpur Airport is not the biggest airport in Bangladesh, but it is very important to the people of northern Bangladesh.

For me, this airport is also special because it is the closest airport to our home. I have visited it several times, sometimes with my friend, and I have always enjoyed spending some time around the airport.

I liked the terminal structure, parking facilities, surrounding environment and, most of all, watching aircraft.

I have not travelled from Saidpur Airport yet, but I hope I may use this airport as a passenger in the future.

I am also sharing a video of Saidpur Airport with you. I hope you will enjoy it.

Airport Video: