Tire puncture suspends flight operations at Sylhet airport for three hours

One of the wheels of a Boeing aircraft got punctured soon after it started moving on the runway creating panic among passengers at Sylhet Osmani International Airport on Friday noon, the authorities said.

Fortunately, no one sustained injuries in the incident.

According to the airport authority, the Boeing-737 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying 143 passengers was scheduled to take off for Dhaka around 12.55pm.

One of the wheels of the aircraft got punctured with a big bang when it began gliding on the runway.

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, he said.

“We were stranded inside the aircraft for around 40 minutes and later brought to the airport lounge,” he said.

Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport, said the plane will be removed from the runway after the wheel is fixed.

The passengers will be sent to Dhaka by an alternative flight soon, he said, adding that normalcy to the operations including landing and take-off at the airport will be resumed in the afternoon.