‘Missiles lit up sky’: Biman pilot recalls mid-air scare amid Israel-Iran conflict

It was 2:15am when a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, bound for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sky was calm, the weather was favourable. In command of the cockpit was Capt Enamul Haque, chief of flight safety at Biman, with his co-pilot, Rafsan Riyad, beside him.

"After crossing the airspace over India, Oman, and the UAE, we approached the horizon over Bahrain. Local time was nearing 5:00am (June 14). At 40,000 feet, the view of earth always evokes a profound sense of awe. But that sensation quickly faded -- replaced by shock and fear -- as we witnessed something utterly unexpected," Capt Enamul recounted.

Their aircraft was cruising above the Persian Gulf. To the right lay Iran; to the left and slightly behind, Bahrain. The sun had not yet risen, but a faint glow had begun to form along the eastern horizon.

Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the Iranian sky. At first, Enamul assumed it might be part of a routine military exercise. But within moments, he and his co-pilot saw them -- missiles. Dozens of them, maybe more, streaking westward across the sky in rapid succession.

"My co-pilot was just as stunned. We immediately began reviewing our flight route. One question kept echoing in my mind: what if even one of those missiles veered off course? The thought alone was enough to send a chill down my spine."

As an experienced pilot, he had faced high-risk situations before -- but nothing like this. "Flaming arrows tearing across the sky, just miles from our aircraft."

The crew quickly altered their course to maintain a safe distance, and eventually landed safely in Riyadh.

"Once on the ground, I turned on my phone -- and the headlines flooded in: 'Iran launches massive missile strike on Israel'," he said.

It wasn't just a military move -- it felt like the beginning of a war, one that might not remain confined to two nations. The entire region's stability now seemed at risk.

"That morning, I wasn't just a pilot. I became a witness to history -- watching the beginning of a conflict unfold from the edge of the stratosphere."

The missiles they saw were likely long-range ballistic missiles -- more than just weapons, Enamul observed; they were a strategic message. These projectiles rise hundreds of kilometres into near-space before plunging back down on their targets.

"The Middle Eastern airspace is no longer just a transit corridor; it's becoming a contested and potentially dangerous zone," he added.

Fortunately, the passengers remained unaware of the danger they had unknowingly passed through.

"We were able to land safely, but the question still lingers in my mind: How safe is the sky we fly through?"