Dense Fog Disrupts Flights at Shahjalal Airport, 6 Flights Unable to Land

A thick blanket of fog over Dhaka caused significant disruptions at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport  (HSIA), preventing multiple flights from taking off or landing on schedule. Low runway visibility forced six flights to divert, with three landing at Kolkata International Airport and the other three at Sylhet Osmani International Airport.

The disruption lasted from 2:30 am on Sunday (February 2) until 9 am on Monday.

According to airport authorities, two Kuwait Airways flights from Kuwait City and a Salam Air flight from Muscat, Oman, were unable to land in Dhaka and were redirected to Kolkata. They later arrived in Dhaka after 9 am.

In addition to the diverted flights, around 16 flights experienced delays between midnight and 9 a.m. due to the fog. Affected airlines included Biman Bangladesh Airlines (flights from Dubai, Muscat, Rome, and Jeddah), Emirates Airlines (Dubai), Gulf Air (Bahrain), US-Bangla Airlines (Dubai, Doha, Sharjah, Jeddah, Singapore), and Druk Air (Paro).

Shahjalal Airport's Executive Director, Group Captain Mohammad Kamrul Islam, confirmed the diversions: "Several flights were redirected to Kolkata and Sylhet due to dense fog. However, normal flight operations resumed after 10 am."

As multiple aircraft awaited clearance for takeoff and landing, congestion occurred on the airport runway.

Since early January, heavy fog and cold weather have affected various parts of Bangladesh. The Meteorological Department has warned that foggy conditions may worsen in the coming days.