Passengers continue to suffer as 32 more flights cancelled today 

Passenger suffering continued at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as 32 more flights were cancelled today (10 March), adding to travel disruptions caused by the ongoing security situation in the Middle East.

Airport officials said several countries – including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan – have temporarily closed their airspace due to security concerns, forcing airlines to suspend flights from Dhaka.

Today, the cancelled flights included services operated by several international and local airlines. 

These included four flights each by Air Arabia (Sharjah), Gulf Air (Bahrain), Qatar Airways, Emirates, Jazeera Airways and flydubai.

Additionally, two Kuwait Airways flights, three Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights, and three US-Bangla Airlines flights were also cancelled.

The ongoing disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded, many of whom were scheduled to travel to Middle Eastern destinations for work or family visits. 

Travellers reported long waits at the airport and uncertainty regarding rescheduled flights.

Airport authorities said that since 28 February, a total of 367 flights have been cancelled due to regional airspace restrictions. Daily cancellations have fluctuated, with 40 flights cancelled on 1 March, 46 on 2 March, and 33 on 9 March, reflecting the continued impact of the Middle East security situation on international air travel.

Officials advised passengers to check with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates before heading to the airport.

US-Bangla Airlines to resume flights on 2 routes

US-Bangla Airlines has announced that it will resume flights on the Sharjah and Abu Dhabi routes. Flights to Sharjah will restart from 13 April, while flights to Abu Dhabi will resume from 14 April.

Amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East, many Bangladeshi expatriates have been facing uncertainty due to visa-related complications. 

With the upcoming celebration of Eid al‑Fitr, many expatriates are anxious about whether they will be able to return to Bangladesh to spend the holiday with their families, according to a press release.

To ease travel uncertainty, US-Bangla Airlines will operate four weekly flights from Dhaka to Sharjah starting 13 April, on Fridays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. 

Flights from Dhaka to Abu Dhabi will operate three times a week – on Saturdays, Mondays, and Thursdays – starting 14 April. In addition, a direct flight from Chattogram to Abu Dhabi will depart every Monday.

Flights from Dhaka to Sharjah will depart at 8:45pm, while return flights from Sharjah will depart at 1:30am (local time).

For Abu Dhabi services, flights from Dhaka will depart at 5:50pm on Saturdays and Thursdays, and at 3:55pm on Mondays via Chattogram. 

The direct flight from Chattogram to Abu Dhabi will depart at 5:50pm on Mondays. 

Return flights from Abu Dhabi to Dhaka will depart at 10:10pm (local time).

Flights on the Sharjah and Abu Dhabi routes will be operated using Boeing 737‑800 aircraft. 

Currently, the US-Bangla fleet includes 25 aircraft, comprising three 436-seat Airbus A330‑300s and nine 189-seat Boeing 737‑800s.

The US-Bangla Airlines continues to operate daily flights from Dhaka to Dubai. 

The airline also operates flights to key Middle Eastern destinations, including Jeddah, Riyadh and Muscat. 

The airline also plans to resume flights from Dhaka to Doha in the near future.