11 flights from HSIA to Middle East delayed over airspace closure

Flights to four Middle Eastern countries have resumed regular operations after the countries had closed their airspace from fear of missile attacks, authorities at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said in a statement on Tuesday.

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director SM Ragib Samad said, “Under the current global situation, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar closed their airspace temporarily. Hence, flight schedules from Dhaka to those countries were changed, and there was a temporary disruption.”

"Especially, 11 flights travelling on the Sharjah, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai routes could not operate on the scheduled time. Among them, two flights of Air Arabia and one of US-Bangla Airlines to Sharjah, one of Emirates Airlines and one of US-Bangla Airlines to Dubai, two of Jazeera Airways to Kuwait, two of Qatar Airways, one of Bangladesh Biman, and one of US-Bangla Airlines to Doha (could not fly on time). These flights have started operating according to the rescheduled timing in phases.”

The executive director of the airport has requested passengers to contact their respective airlines' offices or hotline numbers to receive updated information regarding their travel, reports UNB.

He said that flights from Dhaka to other destinations in the Middle East are operating as usual and on time.

Earlier on Monday, the airport authorities said in a press statement that Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain had temporarily closed their airspace to commercial flights due to the ongoing global situation.

"According to the latest information, these countries have reopened their airspace since 3am Bangladesh time, on Jun 24, and currently all commercial flights are operating normally on the Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Bahrain routes," the authorities said in a statement issued around 11:30 am on Tuesday.