A total of 135 flights operating between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, both direct and via transit routes, have been suspended or cancelled due to severe restrictions on flight operations at Saudi airports. Consequently, 20,672 passengers relying on these routes have faced disruptions.
Of the affected services, 62 were direct flights while 73 were operating via transit routes, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) disclosed in a press release on Thursday afternoon.
According to CAAB data, the disrupted direct flights included 23 operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 by US-Bangla Airlines, 19 by Saudia, and 10 by Riyadh Air. Among the affected transit flights, 28 were operated by IndiGo, 14 by Emirates, nine by Qatar Airways, eight by flydubai, seven by SalamAir, six by Air India, and one by EgyptAir.
Flight operations across various airports in Saudi Arabia were initially halted following coordinated attacks by Yemen's Houthi armed movement targeting key facilities in multiple regions, including the capital, Riyadh. Although official operations have partially resumed, numerous international carriers continue to withhold services, closely monitoring security conditions.
Amid these developments, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying 379 passengers departed Dhaka for Dammam on Thursday morning. However, reports indicated that Dammam airport came under another security incident late Wednesday night, casting doubt on the ongoing viability of flights to the destination. In response to the mounting uncertainty, Biman authorities scheduled an emergency high-level meeting for Thursday night to review and determine future flight schedules.
