Flight operations at Dhaka&rsquo;s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport came to a standstill on Friday afternoon after a massive fire broke out in the cargo village near Gate No. 8. At least 36 firefighting units were deployed as thick smoke engulfed parts of the airport, forcing multiple flight delays and diversions. The Bangladesh Air Force and Navy also joined the firefighting efforts to contain the blaze.
According to airport officials, several outbound and inbound flights have been impacted. Batik Air&rsquo;s flight to Kuala Lumpur and IndiGo&rsquo;s service to Mumbai were held on the taxiway, while flights from Delhi and Bangkok were diverted to Kolkata and Chattogram respectively. Air Arabia&rsquo;s flight from Sharjah also landed in Chattogram as a safety precaution, and a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong circled overhead awaiting clearance to land.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla flights were among those diverted mid-air or forced to return to their origin points. &ldquo;Emergency response teams were immediately mobilised, and passenger safety remains our top priority,&rdquo; said an airport official, confirming that all passengers were safe and no casualties were reported.
Authorities temporarily suspended flight operations as efforts to control the fire continued late into the evening. The extent of the damage and the cause of the blaze are yet to be determined, but early reports suggest it originated in a cargo storage section before spreading rapidly.b

Flames Halt Flights: Dhaka Airport Fire Grounds Operations

Massive fire at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport halts air traffic, diversions acros

Flames Halt Flights: Dhaka Airport Fire Grounds Op

Massive fire at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport halts air traffic, diversions acros

October 18, 2025 | 17:04 IST