Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport has lost half of its international carriers over the past year, as visa complications in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, combined with aircraft shortages among several foreign airlines and ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh, push four operators to suspend services indefinitely.
Until recently, eight airlines — including six foreign carriers — flew regular routes from Chattogram. Now only four remain, a contraction that has sharply strained passenger movement and disrupted the region’s travel industry. Travel agents warn that if the downturn persists, surviving carriers could raise fares as demand builds on fewer flights.
Airport officials said that in previous years six foreign airlines operated alongside Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines. Fly Dubai suspended its flights in December 2024, while Oman Air halted operations in October 2024. Jazeera Airways also pulled its Kuwait service. Budget carrier SpiceJet, which flew the Chittagong–Kolkata route, has not returned since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some temporary suspensions have eased — Fly Dubai and Salam Air have resumed limited operations — but capacity remains significantly constrained.
Asif Chowdhury, in-charge of Air Galaxy Chattogram, which represents SpiceJet, Oman Air and Jazeera Airways, said SpiceJet’s Chattogram service remains grounded due to India’s visa complications. Before the pandemic, the airline operated daily flights to Kolkata. “Now passengers from Dhaka travel to Kolkata instead,” he said.
He added that Jazeera Airways previously operated five weekly flights to Kuwait, while Oman Air flew four times a week. “The closure of visas for Oman and Dubai had a major impact. Oman Air suspended operations due to a shortage of passengers and diverted its aircraft to other routes. As a result, our company had to reduce around eight staff members, and other employees resigned. Without a stable political environment in Bangladesh, it is unlikely that these airlines will resume flights anytime soon.”
At present, only two foreign carriers — Salam Air and Air Arabia — operate six international routes from Chattogram, while Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines continue their overseas services. Destinations currently linked to Chattogram include Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha.
A former chairman of the Chattogram Zonal Committee of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh said visa restrictions imposed by Middle Eastern governments are the primary reason foreign airlines suspended flights. “Passenger numbers on these routes have dropped significantly. However, we are hopeful that visa services will resume soon. Once that happens, airlines will likely restart flights,” he said.
Chattogram airport spokesperson Engineer Ibrahim Khalil said Fly Dubai and Oman Air exited the market largely due to poor route performance. “They withdrew from Chattogram and reassigned their aircraft where demand is higher. Due to aircraft shortages, they suspended operations here,” he said. Fly Dubai has since announced plans to return. “Recently, Salam Air doubled its flights on the Chittagong–Muscat route — from 7 to 14 per week.”
According to travel agents, current fares range from Tk32,000–35,000 for Abu Dhabi and Dubai routes and Tk48,000–50,000 for Medina–Jeddah routes. Prices are lower from Dhaka because more carriers operate from the capital and passenger volumes are higher.
Reaz Bin Ali, proprietor of The RTW Travel Support, said more airline options are urgently needed. “The suspension of three major Middle Eastern airlines may create a monopoly among the remaining carriers. If passenger demand continues to rise, these airlines may increase fares. We hope the suspended airlines resume operations soon.”
Shah Amanat International Airport began operating as an international airport in 1996. In its earlier years, it offered direct flights to Kolkata, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. But operational challenges forced 11 airlines to discontinue services by 2020.
Currently, the airport handles 398 weekly flights — domestic and international — with 15 to 16 international flights operating daily. From January to June this year, it recorded 11,300 flights carrying 716,421 passengers, including 4,610 international and 6,690 domestic flights.
In 2024, the airport handled 1,641,611 passengers on 18,715 flights. In 2023, it handled 1,627,087 passengers across 20,508 flights, while 2022 saw 1,415,018 passengers travel through the airport.
