180 flights cancelled on Riyadh-Dammam routes

A total of 180 flights from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Dammam have been cancelled since October 10, affecting 23,085 passengers, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

CAAB disclosed the information on Saturday, November 7.

Of the cancelled flights, 103 were direct flights and 77 were transit flights, according to CAAB sources.

Among the direct flights, 51 were operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 by US-Bangla Airlines, 21 by Saudia Airlines and 21 by Riyadh Air.

The cancelled transit flights included 30 by IndiGo, 14 by Emirates, nine by Qatar Airways, eight by Flydubai, seven by SalamAir, eight by Air India and one by EgyptAir.

Passengers on these flights were scheduled to travel to Riyadh and Dammam via transit points in different countries. However, the airlines cancelled their flights from their respective countries and did not carry passengers from Dhaka.

Earlier, Riyadh airport was closed following a recent Houthi attack, while Dammam also came under attack.

In response to the situation, Biman Bangladesh Airlines initially suspended flights to Riyadh and Dammam until October 17. The suspension was subsequently extended.

sks