More than 200 flights operating from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) have been cancelled over the past six days after several Middle Eastern countries closed their airspace amid rising regional security tensions.
A total of 210 flights were cancelled between February 28 and March 5 at HSIA in Dhaka, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAA).
Muhammad Kausar Mahmud, assistant director for public relations at the CAA, said the cancellations were triggered by the temporary closure of airspace in several Middle Eastern countries.
“Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan have closed their airspace due to the security situation in the Middle East,” he said.
The flights canceled on Thursday include 4 by Qatar Airways, 4 by Kuwait Airways, 4 by Jazeera Airways (Kuwait), 10 by Air Arabia (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates), 4 by Emirates, 2 by US-Bangla Airlines, 2 by Gulf Air (Bahrain) and 4 by Flight Dubai (Dubai).
Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has announced the cancellation of all flights from Bangladesh to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Doha in Qatar and Kuwait until March 5.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
