The passenger suffering at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka continued as 24 more international flights were cancelled today (13 March).
The disruption has extended, which persisted for nearly two weeks due to the ongoing security situation in the Middle East.
Airport officials said the cancellations were linked to the closure of airspace by several Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, following heightened regional security concerns.
According to airport data, the flights cancelled include services operated by several major carriers. These include four flights of Kuwait Airways to Kuwait, four flights of Jazeera Airways to Kuwait, four flights of Emirates to the UAE, four flights of Qatar Airways to Qatar, four flights of flydubai to the UAE, two flights of Air Arabia to Sharjah, and two flights of Gulf Air to Bahrain.
The continuity of cancellations has left thousands of passengers stranded, many of them migrant workers heading to jobs in the Gulf region or returning home on leave.
Airport authorities said the disruptions began on 28 February over the regional security situation prompted the temporary closure of multiple airspaces across the Middle East.
With today’s cancellations, the total number of flights cancelled since 28 February has reached 447, according to airport officials.
Industry insiders say the prolonged disruption is also causing operational and financial strain on airlines, airport service providers and businesses that depend on international passenger traffic.
Passengers and travel agents are now anxiously awaiting a normalisation of airspace conditions.
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