BSS-21 Dense fog forces to suspend flight operation at HSIA

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ZCZC

BSS-21

AVIATION-FOG-AIRPORT

Dense fog forces to suspend flight operation at HSIA

DHAKA, Dec 20, 2017 (BSS) – Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB)
was forced to shut down all flight operation at Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport (HSIA) from 12:15 am to 9:30 am today due to dense fog
resulting in delay of numbers of international and domestic flights.

“We resumed the flight operation for domestic flights at 9:30 am and
international flights at 10:15 am this morning,” CAAB spokesperson AKM Rezaul
Karim told BSS.

He said the fog was too heavy for flight operation after midnight. “The
flight operation has been started just after the fog getting thin,” he added.

During the period, six passenger flights and one cargo aircraft were
diverted into other airports including Kolkata and Chittagong.

Karim said a Thai Airlines flight was compelled to return to Bangkok after
failing to land at HSIA at 12:40 am while a Saudi Airlines flight scheduled
to land at the airport at 12:55am was diverted into Kolkata.

A Unitop cargo aircraft from China was diverted away Myanmar around
12:50am. A Gulf Air flight was diverted to Kolkata around 4am and a US-Bangla
Flight was diverted to Chittagong, he added.

Besides, departing flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, China Southern,
Emirates, Malindo Air, Qatar Airways and Air Asia were stuck at HSIA due to
the fog. Those flights were departed after 10:15 am, Karim said.

Apart from international flights, one Biman Bangladesh Airlines, four Novo
Air and three Us-Bangla Airlines domestic flights were delayed due to the
heavy fog.

As per the weather forecast, moderate to thick fog may occur over the
country during mid night till tomorrow morning and it may continue till noon.

BSS/TA/RY/1745 hrs