Flights disrupted, thousands stranded

At least 11 international flights of different airlines en route to Middle Eastern countries were rescheduled since Monday night, leaving thousands of passengers stranded temporarily.

Officials concerned of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka said that the disruption of flights has occurred due to the temporary closure of airspace which was triggered by the escalation of Iran-Israel conflict.

United Arab Emirates' Sharjah bound two flights of Air Arabia and one of US Bangla; Dubai bound one flight of Emirates Airlines and one of US Bangla; Kuwait bound two flights of Jazeera Airways; and Doha bound two flights of Qatar Airways, one of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and one of US Bangla; have been rescheduled.

"Due to the ongoing global situation, the authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar have temporarily closed their airspace. As a result, there have been schedule changes and temporary disruptions to some flights operating from Dhaka to these destinations," said a press note issued by Group Captain S M Ragib Samad, executive director of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

However, the airport authorities later informed that the Middle Eastern countries have opened again their airspace after 3.00 am on Tuesday and currently, all commercial flights on the routes to Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Bahrain are operating normally.

Meanwhile, thousands of stranded passengers have faced chaos and uncertainty at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while waiting for flights, either delayed or cancelled, due to the Middle East conflict.

Md Al Amin Sardar and his family, who were en route to Italy, were scheduled to take a transit at Hamad International Airport in Qatar. However, their Qatar Airways flight, originally set for 10:55 am on Tuesday, was cancelled.

Al Amin said he was due to return to his workplace after a 12-day leave, but the flight cancellation has left him in uncertainty. Qatar Airways officials have advised them to follow up after June 30.

Farhan Tanveer Fahim, a passenger of the same flight, was en route to Cyprus and also scheduled to have a transit at Doha International Airport. He was advised to follow up after 72 hours.

He described the confusion and frustration felt by many passengers. "Everyone is literally sitting where they can find a spot and waiting for any of the announcements," he said.

bikashju@gmail.com