367 flights cancelled at Dhaka airport amid Middle East security concerns

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) has cancelled 367 international flights since February 28 due to ongoing security concerns in the Middle East.

Of these, 32 flights were cancelled. These included two flights of Kuwait Airways; four each of Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Jazeera Airways and Flydubai; and three each of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines.

According to HSIA authorities, the cancellations followed the closure of airspace by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan amid regional security developments. Despite this, some flights to Middle Eastern destinations have continued to operate.

Since February 28, flight cancellations have fluctuated, with 23 cancelled on the first day, rising to 46 on March 2 and varying daily thereafter.

The airport officials said 42 flights were scheduled to operate today, including 10 to Muscat, 20 to Saudi Arabia, and 12 to the UAE.

In total, 283 flights have operated from Dhaka since the end of February despite disruptions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran.