Thousands Suffer as Riyadh Airport Shutdown Cancels 28 Flights

The closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has affected 28 flights of five airlines. So far, 4,851 passengers have faced trouble because of this. Civil Aviation Authority sources shared this information on Monday (12 October).

Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport authority has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until 3 AM today. This follows the Houthi attack on Riyadh International Airport, which caused deaths and injuries. In the last three days, authorities have cancelled about 10 Riyadh flights. Thousands of passengers heading to Saudi Arabia, and workers coming home on leave, now face great suffering.

Many of them travelled to Dhaka from different districts. They learned about the cancellation only after they reached the airport. Now they feel unsure about returning to their jobs abroad. They also face extra costs for travel, stay and food.

Thousands of Saudi bound workers at the airport spend their days without food or sleep. The visas of many are close to expiring. Some borrowed money from relatives through bKash and took hotel rooms near the airport. Many have no money even for food.

Nobody can say when these flights will start again. Passengers live in deep worry. They allege that the airlines and the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka do not ask about the stranded passengers.

Our Uttara correspondent Mr. Masud Parvez reports from Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport that airlines suspended Riyadh and Dhaka Dammam flights one after another for security reasons. This increases the suffering of passengers. Today Biman Bangladesh Airlines suspended flight BG 349 from Dhaka to Dammam. Passengers waiting to travel on time now feel unsure about their journey.

The repeated suspensions may disrupt travel plans, joining work and other activities. The situation may cause extra trouble for expatriates in Saudi Arabia who want to return, join a new workplace or travel urgently.

Earlier, on Saturday at midnight, news came of a Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Media reports say at least 12 people died and 309 were injured. The victims reportedly include Bangladeshis and citizens of Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Syria and the United States. Authorities suspended airport operations after the attack.

Flights have stopped at both Riyadh and Jeddah airports after the attacks. Thousands of passengers are stuck in Dhaka and have been living in uncertainty since Saturday. Many came to the airport fully prepared for their flights. Now they wait in frustration because of job, visa and urgent work problems.

The sudden attack on Riyadh airport has created fear. At the time of writing, reports say at least some flights (the number is missing in the original) have been cancelled at Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport. About 4,000 passengers were to travel to Saudi Arabia on these flights. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh said the cancelled flights include Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US Bangla Airlines, Saudia, Riyadh Air and SriLankan Airlines.

Airport sources say the sudden cancellations have caused many problems. Passengers cannot travel from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia, and passengers cannot come from there either. Nobody has told them when the situation will become normal. Many passengers travelled a long way from different districts and were shocked to hear about the cancellations.

They do not know when flights will start or how they can change their ticket dates. Many fear they will lose their jobs if they cannot return to work on time. They also worry about new costs for travel, stay and food.