Nearly 15,000 passengers hit by Saudi flight cancellations

A total of 89 flights from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or suspended until Wednesday following Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, disrupting travel for 14,655 passengers, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

Of the cancelled flights, 39 were direct services and 50 were transit flights, CAAB said in a statement on Wednesday. Expatriate workers whose visa validity is nearing expiry have been particularly affected by the disruptions.

Among the direct services, Biman Bangladesh Airlines cancelled or suspended 17 flights, US-Bangla Airlines 10, Riyadh Airways seven and Saudia Airlines five.

The 50 cancelled transit flights included 22 operated by IndiGo, 11 by Emirates, six each by Qatar Airways and flydubai, four by SalamAir and one by EgyptAir.

Flights from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia operate to four destinations — Riyadh, Dammam, Medina and Jeddah — either directly or through transit points.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remains completely closed, while flight operations at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam have also been disrupted, with numerous services cancelled or suspended. Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended all flights to these two destinations until October 17.

Meanwhile, flight operations at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina remain normal. Services at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which experienced some disruption earlier this week, have also resumed.

Following government instructions, airlines are arranging alternative travel through Medina and Jeddah for passengers holding tickets to Riyadh and Dammam, subject to seat availability.

A Biman official said passengers whose visas are nearing expiry are being given priority for free ticket changes.

The official added that some flights had become overbooked as airlines sought to ensure that no seats remained vacant. In some cases, passengers had been brought back even after clearing immigration, but they were able to travel on subsequent flights.

Airline officials said ticket changes were being made subject to available seats, as the affected routes already had existing bookings.

- MaT