107 Saudi Arabia bound flights disrupted, more than 16,000 passengers affected

Flight operations have been disrupted following a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Restrictions imposed on the airport’s operations have also affected flights from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia. So far, a total of 107 direct and transit flights have been suspended, affecting at least 16,620 passengers.

The number could rise further. Kawsar Mahmud, assistant director of the Public Relations Department of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), told Agamir Somoy on Friday.

Of the affected flights, 44 were direct flights and 63 were transit flights. Among the airlines operating direct flights, 17 Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights, 10 US-Bangla Airlines flights, 10 Saudia flights and seven Riyadh Airlines flights have been suspended.

Meanwhile, the affected transit flights include 22 operated by IndiGo, seven by SalamAir, one by EgyptAir, 14 by Emirates, nine by Qatar Airways, six by flydubai and four by Air India.

The airlines have advised passengers on the affected flights not to go to the airport. They have also said revised flight schedules will be announced after assessing the situation.

Saudi Arabia is home to the largest number of Bangladeshis living abroad among all foreign destinations. The country is also the largest destination for Bangladesh’s manpower exports.

Amid the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, the Iran backed Houthi group in Yemen has recently launched several attacks on Saudi Arabia.

In one such attack, a missile struck Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport on Saturday, killing 14 people, including two Bangladeshis. Flight takeoffs and landings at King Khalid Airport have been disrupted since the attack.