Published : 11 Mar 2026, 02:34 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:27 PM
At least 367 flights from Dhaka to Middle Eastern destinations have been cancelled over the last 11 days due to the escalating regional conflict, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
The disruption began on Feb 28 following joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran on US military installations across the Middle East.
On the first day of the conflict alone, 23 flights were grounded.
Despite the volatility, a limited number of flights have continued to operate.
Between Feb 28 and Mar 10, a total of 325 flights successfully departed Dhaka for different destinations in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman.
The national flag carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, maintains a cautious stance, keeping several key routes suspended.
In a statement on Monday, Biman announced that flights to Doha, Sharjah, Kuwait, and Dammam will remain suspended until further notice.
Operations to Dubai and Abu Dhabi were halted until Mar 10, with no immediate update on their resumption.
In contrast, US-Bangla Airlines, now the country's largest carrier with a fleet of 25 aircraft, has resumed regular operations to several regional hubs.
While some flights were briefly paused, the private airline is currently operating daily flights to Dubai and maintaining schedules to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Muscat.
US-Bangla also announced on Tuesday that it would resume flights to Sharjah from Mar 13 and to Abu Dhabi from Mar 14.
The Sharjah route will operate four days a week, while Abu Dhabi flights will run three days weekly, including direct flights from Chattogram on Mondays.
While Biman remains hesitant, international carriers including Saudia, SalamAir, Air Arabia, and Emirates have continued to fly to Saudi Arabia, Oman and UAE.
On Monday, 40 flights departed for the three primary regional destinations, with another 42 scheduled for Tuesday.
According to CAAB data, Mar 1 saw the highest number of cancellations with 40 flights grounded, though 20 others managed to depart for Saudi Arabia and Muscat on the same day.
