Pakistan airspace denial delays Rooppur fuel arrival

The delivery of nuclear fuel for Unit-2 of Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been delayed after Pakistan denied airspace clearance to the Russian cargo flight carrying the uranium.

The special cargo aircraft was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on September 24, but the flight was cancelled at the last moment after permission to use Pakistani airspace was not granted.

“We heard that a cargo plane carrying uranium for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive on September 24. However, the flight was not given permission to use Pakistani airspace, so the uranium did not arrive in Bangladesh as planned. As of now, the exact reason for Pakistan not granting the airspace clearance is still unknown,” Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam told the media on Sunday.

Russia is now considering an alternative route to deliver the fuel, with the shipment expected in the first week of October.

Project officials said Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy corporation, plans to send the fuel again next month. A total of 163 fuel assemblies are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh through seven flights by December. The shipments will include fuel for Unit-2 as well as some fuel for Unit-1.

Officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) said nuclear fuel is transported by specially designated cargo aircraft under strict security arrangements. The aircraft also requires permission to fly through the airspace of each country along its route.

"From now on, the necessary international agreements, timely permits and diplomatic preparations for such transport need to be ensured," a ministry official said, adding that nuclear fuel supply is not merely a technical matter as international relations and diplomacy are directly involved.

The minister said Russia has proposed a new date for the shipment, indicating the first week of October for the uranium to arrive in Bangladesh.

According to officials, Russia is considering routing the shipment through China and Myanmar to avoid Pakistani airspace. Other alternative routes may also be considered by Rosatom.

The chartered flights carrying nuclear fuel from Russia generally travel through Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India before reaching Bangladesh. The aircraft usually flies to India without a stop after leaving Russia and refuels there before entering Bangladesh. Officials indicated that this route was also planned for the September 24 shipment.

A BAEC official said the fuel was originally scheduled to arrive in June, but the deadline was extended twice before September 24 was fixed as the final date. The fuel had already been loaded onto a designated aircraft in Russia and Bangladesh had completed the necessary preparations.

However, Rosatom informed Bangladesh at the last moment that the shipment would be delayed because of the airspace-related complications.

The official said the delay would not disrupt the project as there is still sufficient time before Unit-2 is completed and its fuel is loaded.

A former BAEC official said permission from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, as well as clearance from countries whose airspace is used, are required for transporting nuclear fuel.

"In this case, nuclear diplomacy is very important," the former official said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka on Monday said that Pakistan maintains an unwavering commitment to international diplomatic norms and processes all requests for diplomatic flight and over flight clearances within a standardised, predictable timeframe, strictly in accordance with our established regulatory guidelines and civil aviation protocols.