174 Saudi-Bound Flights Cancelled, Affecting 23,077 Passengers

Restrictions on flight operations at various airports in Saudi Arabia have disrupted 174 direct and transit flights operating between Bangladesh and the kingdom, affecting 23,077 passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) disclosed the information in a press release issued on Wednesday. According to the authority, 97 of the affected flights were direct services, while 77 were transit flights. Among the disrupted direct flights, 47 were operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 by US-Bangla Airlines, 21 by Saudia and 19 by Riyadh Air. The affected transit flights included 30 operated by IndiGo, seven by SalamAir, one by EgyptAir, 14 by Emirates, nine by Qatar Airways, eight by flydubai and eight by Air India.

The restrictions have affected not only direct flights between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia but also transit services travelling to the kingdom through airports in other countries. The disruptions followed attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi armed group on airports in Saudi Arabia. State-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended services from Dhaka to Riyadh and Dammam. The suspension of flights on both routes had been extended until November 4. Biman has announced that regular flights on the Dhaka-Dammam-Dhaka route will resume on November 7. However, flights on the Dhaka-Riyadh-Dhaka route will remain suspended until further notice due to insufficient passenger demand.