Flight Cancellations Surge at Dhaka and Chattogram Airports Amid Middle East Conflict
This regional instability has caused a significant collapse in flight schedules, with a total of 147 international flights canceled from Dhaka and Chattogram airports over the last four days. On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, alone, 45 international flights were grounded, including 38 from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and 7 from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram.
According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the number of cancellations has risen steadily since February 28. Major global carriers, including Qatar Airways, Emirates, Gulf Air, flydubai, Kuwait Airways, and Air Arabia, have been forced to suspend their operations due to the volatile security situation. While limited flight services have recently resumed to specific cities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, thousands of passengers—particularly migrant workers—remain stranded at airports, facing extreme uncertainty and logistical challenges.
The closure of key air corridors has forced airlines to reroute flights, significantly increasing travel times and operational costs. CAAB officials have noted that while they are in constant communication with regional aviation authorities, the full restoration of schedules depends entirely on the reopening of the broader Middle Eastern airspace. For now, passengers are being advised to stay in close contact with their respective airlines for rebooking options, though the backlog of stranded travelers is expected to take weeks to clear once normalcy returns to the region.
