38 flights delayed
Staff Reporter :
At least 38 flights on domestic and international routes were delayed on Tuesday due to passengers being stranded in traffic as anti-quota protesters blocked various roads in the capital.
Students from different private universities, including Northern, AIUB, North South, and BRAC universities, blocked major roads such as Uttara, Kuril Bishwa Road, Nadda, and Badda, causing massive traffic congestion.
As a result, hundreds of passengers were unable to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in time for their flights.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines was forced to delay two flights, while US-Bangla Airlines and Air Astra made special arrangements for affected passengers.
Boshra Islam, general manager (public relations) of Biman, said, “Many people could not reach the airport due to traffic congestion, causing Biman’s Dhaka-Dammam flight at 3:00 pm to take off 30 minutes late. Additionally, the Dhaka-Jeddah flight scheduled for 2:05 pm was delayed by a few hours.”
US-Bangla Airlines officials reported minor delays in their flights, with 15-20% of passengers missing their flights. However, they managed to avoid cancellations, according to airline sources.
Air Astra stated that 10-15% of their passengers missed their flights. Alternative flights have been arranged for those passengers at no additional cost.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director Group Captain Kamrul Islam confirmed that morning traffic disruptions caused by road blockades had impacted passenger arrivals to the airport.
He stated that authorities, including the Airport Police Battalion, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Traffic Division, and Aviation Security, were working to facilitate the transportation of foreign passengers to the airport.
“Kawla Road has reopened and is currently being used for airport access,” he added.
Meanwhile, the airport authority dismissed rumors circulating on social media about the airport being closed, emphasizing its 24-hour operations and commitment to passenger safety.