Sylhet Osmani International Airport, located in eastern Bangladesh, is set to resume international operations after the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) agency said in a report last week flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) had secured approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to commence flights.

“We have taken the necessary preparations to start direct flight operations on March 18," Masum Mia, flydubai's Sylhet station manager said. "In the first three months, flights will run from Sylhet to Dubai International, Doha Hamad International in Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for five days a week, and later for seven days a week."

According to airport manager, Hafiz Ahmed, the launch will follow the completion of various upgrade works currently being done to, among others, the runway.

Other prospective foreign carriers reportedly keen to serve the city include Air Arabia (G9, Sharjah) and India's Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai International).

For its part, the UAE-based LCC had previously attempted to serve Sylhet in April 2015 via a codeshare agreement with Bangladeshi carrier Regent Airways (Dhaka). However, the service was cancelled a day after its launch after Biman Bangladesh Airlines refused to provide ground handling services.

Though it is Bangladesh's third-largest gateway, Sylhet only sees regular passenger services from Dhaka with service undertaken by three different carriers: Biman Bangladesh, NovoAir, and US-Bangla Airlines.