Flight to Kuwait cancelled, several flights diverted to other airports

A Kuwait-bound flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was cancelled following a fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Eight incoming flights were diverted to Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport, while several others were redirected mid-air to various domestic and international airports.

Around 3:45 pm today, Saturday all flight operations at the country’s main airport were temporarily suspended.

Md Masudul Hasan Masud, spokesperson for the airport’s executive director, confirmed that flight operations had been halted temporarily following the outbreak of the fire at the cargo village.

According to airport sources, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying 267 passengers was scheduled to depart for Kuwait around 3:45 pm.

Passengers, cabin crew, and pilots had already boarded the aircraft, but everyone was evacuated before takeoff due to the fire.

Apart from that, a Himalaya Airlines flight with 180 passengers, which was scheduled to land in Dhaka around 4:30 pm, was sent back to Nepal.

An Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai was diverted to Karachi Airport, while an IndiGo flight from Chennai was redirected to Kolkata Airport. Also, an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah was diverted to Chattogram Airport.