Cargo operations at Sylhet Airport halted for over two months

Dhaka: Cargo flights from Osmani International Airport have remained suspended for more than two months, less than a year after services were launched following long-standing demands from Sylhet residents and exporters.

Airport officials confirmed that cargo operations are currently on hold and said flights could resume if foreign buyers show renewed interest, though the process would need to restart. The service began in late April last year, with the first flight — operated by Gallistear Aviation — exporting 60 tons of ready-made garments (RMG) to Spain.

Over the next six months, 41 cargo flights transported around 2,350 tons of garments to Spain. However, operations stopped abruptly in November, and no cargo flights have operated since.

Local business leaders blamed the suspension on poor planning, citing the absence of product-testing laboratories, and proper packaging facilities. They noted that without testing, agricultural exports cannot proceed, while overreliance on RMG made the service vulnerable to seasonal demand shifts.

A CAAB official said cargo flights were charter-based and limited to garments, with demand falling during winter. Osmani Airport Director Md Hafiz Ahmed said airport facilities remain operational, but cargo operators have suspended services. He added that establishing packaging or testing facilities would require intervention from relevant ministries, not the airport authority.

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