Chattogram airport scraps 46 flights in five days amid Middle East tensions

As many as 11 flights axed on Wednesday alone as the Middle East conflict halts regional air travel

Authorities have cancelled a total of 46 flights over the past five days between Chattogram and Middle East destinations due to the Iran war.

By Wednesday afternoon, 11 flights -- six outbound and five inbound -- were scrapped at Shah Amanat International Airport, according to spokesperson Ibrahim Khalil.

"Flight operations to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Doha remain suspended due to the ongoing war," Khalil told bdnews24.com. "This brings the total number of cancellations in Chattogram to 46 over the past five days."

Wednesday's outbound cancellations included two Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights, one US-Bangla, and three Air Arabia flights.

Despite the disruptions, some limited services continued, with SalamAir, Biman, and US-Bangla successfully operating flights to and from Muscat and Medina earlier in the morning.

The regional crisis began on Saturday following strikes on Iran by Israel and the US, leading to the closure of several Middle East airspaces.

The fallout has been severe across Bangladesh, with 147 flights already cancelled at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport over the previous four days.