Flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the primary international hub in Bangladesh, resumed late on Saturday after a significant fire erupted in the airport’s cargo terminal. The disruption led to the temporary suspension of air traffic for about six hours. The first flight took off at 9:06 pm local time, as confirmed by airport officials. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism announced that the fire had been successfully contained, and measures would be implemented to investigate the cause and prevent future incidents.
The fire started earlier in the afternoon in the airport’s cargo area, causing thick smoke to spread across the city and triggering a large-scale emergency response. Approximately 37 firefighting units, including the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force, collaborated with the Fire Service to control the blaze.
Despite the closure, all grounded aircraft remained secure, and there were no reported casualties. The suspension affected both domestic and international flights, leading to diversions such as an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Dhaka rerouted to Kolkata and an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah diverted to Chittagong, around 250 km southeast of Dhaka.
Before the resumption of operations, precautionary measures led to the temporary halt of flight activities. Airport official Masudul Hasan assured passengers about the swift implementation of emergency protocols for their safety, while airlines managed delays and assisted affected travelers.
This incident marks the third significant fire in Bangladesh in a week, following a fatal fire at a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Dhaka on Tuesday that claimed 16 lives and injured several individuals. Additionally, a separate fire on Thursday destroyed a seven-story garment factory in an export processing zone in Chittagong.