Flight operations at Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport resumed on Friday afternoon after three and half hours of disruption caused by the wheel puncture of a Boeing aircraft blocking the runway. The flights resumed around 4:30pm after removing the Biman aircraft from the runway, said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. Earlier, one of the wheels of the Boeing-737 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines got punctured with a big bang when it began its approach to take off. According to the airport authority, the aircraft carrying 148 passengers was scheduled to take off for Dhaka around 12.55pm. Passenger Mostak Hyat Khan said, “We were panicked as the aircraft started shaking after a big bang.” After the shaking, the pilot slowed the speed of the plane and tried to take off but was forced to halt when they came to know about the problem, Khan said. “We were stranded inside the aircraft for around 40 minutes and later brought to the airport lounge,” he added.

The electronic gates at Sylhet Osmani International Airport will improve passengers’ experience and enhance quality of service, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said today. “We have already launched e-gates at three international airports in our country and have issued many e-passports so far,” he told reporters after the inauguration of the e-gates at Sylhet airport. Passengers who have e-passports will be able to complete the immigration activities through e-gates, he added. Recently the passport services have improved a lot, and one does not have to wait for a long time like before, Momen said. “The quality of our passport (service) will increase further through the launching of e-gates. Then we won’t need visas to visit many countries. Many countries are eager to sign visa waiver agreements with us,” he said. Also read: E-gates at Sylhet airport to open for passengers today Six e-gates were launched today at Sylhet airport. Three of them were set up for departure and three for entry. On Saturday, Maher Uddin Sheikh, deputy director of Sylhet Divisional Passport and Visa Office, said that immigration process will be completed fast. The government has taken this initiative, considering the convenience of expatriates, speeding up immigration procedures and raising the standard of services. Passengers can easily pass through the e-gates as the gates will be opened automatically after submitting an e-passport and the whole process will be completed within 18 seconds, said airport authorities. Earlier on June 7, twelve e-gates were inaugurated at Dhaka Airport.  

The authorities of Sylhet Osmani International Airport have completed all preparations for opening six electronic gates at the airport to make the immigration process faster and improve the quality of services. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, lawmaker from Sylhet-1, will inaugurate the gates at 11 am, said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. "Six e-gates will be inaugurated on Sunday (January 08, 2023). Three of them were set up for departure and three for entry," he added. Read More: E-gates to be introduced at Chattogram airport He also said the passengers who have e-passports will be able to complete the immigration activities through e-gate.

Customs officials on Tuesday claimed to have found 10 gold bars in a trash bag of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight at MAG Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. The gold bars weighing 1.16 kg are worth around Tk 1 crore, officials said, adding that the flight landed at the airport around 8am from Qatar's Doha, said Nazassi Parvez, a revenue officer at the airport. Read: 4 get life imprisonment for murder in Chattogram “The gold bars were recovered, following a tip off. But the person who brought them into the country from abroad could not be identified,” he said. A criminal case will be filed in this regard, said the official.

After six days of closure due to the devastating floods, Sylhet's Osmani International Airport resumed flight operations on Thursday. Two flights -- one on the Sylhet-London route and another on the Sylhet-Manchester route -- took off in the early hours, said Hafiz Ahmed, director of Osmani International Airport. Airport authorities had suspended flight operations after flood waters inundated the runway on June 17. Meanwhile, 1.25 lakh people, who took shelter at different temporary homes, returned to their respective areas following the improvement in the flood situation, said local administration authorities. As the flood waters have started receding, people are heading towards their respective houses on Thursday. Also Read: Brahmaputra, Dharla keep swelling; More areas submerged in Kurigram, Gaibandha Kabir Ahmed, a member of No 5 ward of Paschim Islampur union in Companyganj upazila, said many thatched houses have been damaged. “All paddy stored in the houses have been destroyed. Currently, people are facing financial problems,” he said. Local administration sources said that 614 shelter homes have been opened in 13 upazilas and the city, where 2, 52,878 people have taken refuge. Currently, 1,27,653 people are living in 599 temporary shelters, while 1,25,131 left for their homes. Besides, many areas in the district are still inundated due to the rise in the water level of the Kushiara river. Additional commissioner of Sylhet division, Debjit Sing, said, "We are monitoring relief distribution to ensure the same reaches all the flood-affected people in phases."  

Flight operations at Sylhet's MAG Osmani International Airport will resume soon, said State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali on Monday. “If there is no more rain and the flood situation will remain static, then the flight operation at the airport will resume soon. The decision will be taken to operate flights at Sylhet airport considering the safety of the passengers and aircraft latteness,” he said. Mahbub revealed this information while talking to the reporters when visiting the airport. He also visited the approach area, runway and terminal of the airport. Also Read: Brahmaputra, Dharla keep swelling; More areas submerged in Kurigram, Gaibandha The street lights of the approach area of the airport are out of order now and that’s why the flight operation remained suspended, he said. Already a team of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has inspected the airport area, he added. Flight Operation at Sylhet's MAG Osmani International Airport has been suspended since June 17 due to the deteriorating flood situation in the region.

Sylhet's MAG Osmani International Airport has been closed for flights operation for three days from Friday due to the deteriorating flood situation in the region. No flights will be operated at the airport for three days from today (Friday), said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. The notice was issued as the flood water reached close to the runway, he added. A further decision will be taken after observing the overall situation, the manager said.

A Bangladeshi national has been detained with 11 gold bars worth Tk 80 lakh at Sylhet's Osmani International Airport on Friday morning, Customs officials said. The detainee has been identified as Md Ali Ahmed, 35, a resident of Ujan Meherpur Dorgarbazar in Gopalganj upazila of Sylhet. His flight from Dubai landed at the airport around 7am.  Also Read: Gold worth Tk6.5 crore seized at Dhaka airport Md Al Amin, deputy commissioner of Customs at Osmani International Airport, said Ahmed was stopped for frisking as he was passing through the green channel.  "We found the gold bars hidden in a nebuliser kept in his bag. A case will be filed against the detainee," he added.     

Customs officials detained four people along with 11 kgs of gold at Sylhet Osmani International Airport on Monday. The detainees are Makbul Ali, son of Abdul Ahad, Bashir Uddin, son of Mantaz Ali, Sultan Ahmed, son of Najim Uddin of Kanaighat upazila and Sheikh Mohammad Zahid of Nabiganj upazila. Read: Gold worth Tk 2.5 crore seized in Chuadanga Al Amin, deputy commissioner of Sylhet Customs, said a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines BG-248 landed at the airport around 9 am from Dubai. Tipped off, a team of customs officials challenged four passengers of the flight and recovered the gold worth Tk 7 crore from their luggage. The gold was brought tactfully concealing in iron machines and juicers after melting it, said Al Amin.

Customs intelligence officials seized 6.148 Kg gold worth Tk 3.5 crore from a passenger coming from Dubai at Sylhet Osmani International airport on Monday. The officials have recovered 38 bars and a disc of gold from Parendranath Dash, a resident of Nazirabad area in Moulvibazar sadar up[azila. Also read: 12 kg gold bars seized at Dhaka airport The airport authority said they found Biman’s BG-248 flight’s passenger Paresh’s movement at the airport suspicious and interrogated him. At one point he confessed to carrying gold which was recovered from inside a juicer blender in his luggage. Deputy Commissioner of airport’s customs Mohammad Al Amin said Paresh is currently under the custody of the authority and they are investigating how he got the gold. Also read: Man held with 8 gold bars in Hili Meanwhile, Parendranath said an anonymous person has handed him the blender.