Middle East tensions: Passengers suffer amid flight cancellations

Passengers continued to suffer at the country's main airport as hundreds of Middle East-bound workers waited anxiously at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after at least 74 flights were cancelled until this evening amid Israel-US joint attacks on Iran.

Besides, 20 flights to the Middle East from Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport were cancelled, said the authorities. 

Although flights to Saudi Arabia and Oman were scheduled to partially resume today (1 March), services to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from Dhaka remained suspended, prolonging uncertainty for migrant workers and other travellers.

A visit to the airport in the morning found many passengers and their relatives sitting in front of the outbound terminal. Several complained that they had not received proper shelter arrangements or sehri facilities during Ramadan.

SM Ragib Samad, executive director and group captain of the airport, told The Business Standard that the state-owned airlines had announced cancellations earlier but many travel agents failed to inform passengers on time.

"Although the airlines (Biman Bangladesh) informed about the flight cancellation the day before, the travel agents did not notify passengers promptly. Many left home without knowing their flights were cancelled. However, today the gathering was smaller than the previous day," he said.

He added that the airline hotline remained out of service for a period, prompting passengers – including those from Jashore and North Bengal – to come directly to the airport. The matter has been reported to the ministry.

Biman, US-Bangla resume select routes

In a statement, Biman said all its Middle East-bound flights – except those to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi – were scheduled to depart on time today. Passengers were requested to reach the airport at least four hours before departure.

The national carrier also announced revised schedules for two previously cancelled flights. The cancelled Dhaka-Madinah flight (BG 337) and the Dhaka-Jeddah flight (BG 335) were scheduled to depart Dhaka at 4pm and 7pm, respectively, today. 

Moreover, yesterday's cancelled flight BG-135 (Dhaka-Chattogram-Jeddah) was scheduled to leave for Jeddah from Chattogram at 5:35pm.

Amid the disruption, US-Bangla Airlines also resumed flights to Saudi Arabia and Oman. In a press release, the airline said its scheduled services to Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Muscat in Oman resumed today. Passengers were asked to collect boarding passes at least four hours before departure.

However, considering the evolving Middle East situation, US-Bangla earlier temporarily suspended flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah in the UAE, as well as Doha in Qatar. The airline said affected passengers would be contacted once the situation normalises.

Airport sources said flight operations to Southeast and South Asian destinations, excluding the Middle East, remain normal.

Govt assures rescheduling, support

Meanwhile, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury assured stranded passengers at the Dhaka airport that existing tickets would remain valid and no traveller would face financial losses due to temporary flight disruptions to Middle East destinations.

He made the assurance while addressing the concerns of passengers whose flights were cancelled.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Rashiduzzaman Millat said the government was coordinating rescheduling efforts through discussions involving the ministry's secretary, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority and other inter-ministerial stakeholders. The foreign and expatriates' welfare ministries were also engaged in consultations.

"We have already checked and finalised the rescheduled flights. If the current situation persists, the suspended flights will be gradually resumed, and arrangements have been made to transport affected passengers," he said while speaking to journalists at the airport's traffic signal monitoring cell today.

Millat added that the prime minister was personally monitoring the situation and issuing directives, regularly inquiring about passenger welfare, including accommodation and iftar arrangements during Ramadan.

Urging passengers to remain cautious, the state minister advised travellers to confirm flight status with their respective airlines or travel agencies before heading to the airport.

"As this situation is beyond our control, passengers should verify their flights in advance to avoid inconvenience," he said, assuring that aviation authorities remain on alert and that adequate notice will be given to passengers from remote areas once flights are rescheduled.

Assistant Director of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training Fakhrul Islam said officials visited the airport to ensure workers were not stranded.

"There is no large crowd of waiting passengers today. Those whose flights were cancelled have been accommodated in hotels and government dormitories," he said, adding that flights to Qatar and the UAE remain suspended, though services to Saudi Arabia and Oman have resumed.