Staff Reporter:
Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) for nearly four hours yesterday morning, forcing suspensions of take-offs and landings and diverting several inbound flights to alternate airports.
Flight operations were halted shortly after 6:00 am as heavy fog sharply reduced visibility, airport sources said.
During the period, no aircraft were able to take off or land, while several inbound flights remained air-borne or were diverted due to safety concerns.
Executive Director of the airport, Group Captain SM Ragib Samad said the airport was not officially closed, but operations were suspended to ensure safety.
“From 6:00 am onwards, visibility dropped to zero. No aircraft could take off or land,” he told , adding that flight operations resumed at 9:52 am as weather conditions improved.
The first flight landed at 10:27 am, with subsequent aircraft landing sequentially as visibility gradually returned to acceptable levels, he said.
Airport sources said several flights were holding in Dhaka’s airspace awaiting landing clearance, while others were diverted to alternative airports.
Of the diverted flights, six were rerouted to Sylhet airport one to Kolkata Airport, and one to Hanoi Airport.
As weather conditions normalized, all flight operations at the airport resumed with regular take-offs and landings, airport authorities said.
