Middle East flights from Dhaka, Ctg airports cancelled, passengers stranded

Airspace over the Middle East has been closed following tit-for-tat strikes between the United States and Iran. On Sunday morning, March 1, airlines have suspended all flights from Bangladesh to Middle Eastern destinations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Passengers were seen suffering at Shahjalal on Sunday morning just as they did on Saturday. Due to security risks, not only Biman Bangladesh Airlines but also various domestic and international airlines have suspended flights, causing significant inconvenience. Many passengers are returning from the airport in uncertainty, while airlines are advising those with late-night flights not to come to the airport. No clear information is available on when the situation will normalise.

Group Captain S M Ragib Samad, executive director of Shahjalal International Airport, said, that 27 flights to the Middle East have been cancelled so far.

Authorities said flights would resume gradually once airspace becomes safe. While flights to several Middle Eastern countries have been cancelled or suspended, passengers travelling to Europe and other regions are able to travel without disruption.

Meanwhile, all flights from Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport to various Middle Eastern countries have been cancelled. Airport authorities announced the decision on Sunday, citing the temporary closure of various airfields and flight information regions in the Middle East due to the ongoing war.

According to airport sources, flight operations will remain suspended until further instructions from concerned authorities. A total of 10 international flights, including seven arrivals and three departures, have been cancelled.

Officials said Salam Air's inbound flight OV-401 from Muscat was scheduled to land in Chattogram at 7:30 am on Sunday. The same aircraft was scheduled to depart from Chattogram to Muscat as OV-402 at 8:30 am, but both flights were cancelled due to the war situation. Several international flights were also cancelled on Saturday for the same reason.