A blaze at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka prompted the diversion of multiple international flights to Calcutta’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Saturday, disrupting travel across the region.
Airport officials in Calcutta confirmed that at least four incoming flights had been rerouted by evening. Among them were an IndiGo service from Delhi bound for Dhaka and another IndiGo flight originating from Chennai, both redirected due to the emergency. Additionally, a FlyDubai aircraft en route from Dubai to Dhaka and a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong were also compelled to land in Calcutta.
The fire erupted around 2:30 p.m. in the airport’s cargo terminal, leading authorities to suspend all flight operations temporarily. This affected both domestic and international services, with no immediate details available on the cause of the incident. Officials noted that inbound aircraft were scattered to alternative Bangladeshi facilities, including Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.
In response, 36 firefighting units were deployed to combat the flames, according to an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell who spoke to Reuters. The scale of the effort underscored the severity of the outbreak, which halted departures and arrivals at Bangladesh’s primary aviation hub.
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Calcutta airport personnel expressed caution about potential ripple effects into Sunday. “Flight operations may be affected in Calcutta on Sunday as well. We are keeping a close watch on the situation in Dhaka,” one official remarked, highlighting the ongoing vigilance amid the uncertainty.
The disruptions came without warning, stranding passengers and cargo handlers while underscoring vulnerabilities in regional air networks. As crews battled the fire into the evening, travelers faced extended waits and logistical challenges, with no timeline yet for resuming normal schedules at Hazrat Shahjalal.
This event marks a significant interruption for one of South Asia’s busiest airports, where such incidents are rare but can cascade quickly across borders. Updates from Bangladeshi aviation authorities and international carriers will be critical as the situation evolves.
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