The suspension of flight operations at various airports in Saudi Arabia has directly affected 51 flights operated by airlines serving Bangladesh through direct and transit routes.
Some flights have been cancelled, while others have been suspended. A total of 5,418 passengers scheduled to travel from Dhaka to various destinations in Saudi Arabia have been affected.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) disclosed the information in a press release on Monday afternoon. The flights were cancelled or suspended between Saturday night and Monday afternoon.
According to CAAB, 12 of the 51 affected flights were direct services to and from Saudi Arabia, while the remaining 39 were transit flights. The direct flights included four operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, two by US-Bangla Airlines, three by Saudia and three by Riyadh Air.
Among the transit flights, 16 were operated by IndiGo, three by SalamAir, one by EgyptAir, nine by Emirates, five by Qatar Airways and five by flydubai.
According to the latest information from CAAB, the impact of restrictions on operations at Saudi airports is no longer limited to direct flights. Transit flights operated by various international airlines have also been affected, creating uncertainty for passengers' travel plans.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, all flights bound for Riyadh have either been diverted or cancelled. A Reuters report said the decision followed a major attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital on Saturday.
Reporting the suspension of flights at Riyadh's international airport, Reuters said airport authorities had advised passengers to contact their respective airlines before travelling to the airport and check the latest status of their flights.
US-Bangla cancels all Riyadh flights until 21 October
Private carrier US-Bangla Airlines said in a press release that all its flights on the Dhaka–Riyadh–Dhaka route had been cancelled until 21 October due to the closure of Riyadh airport. The affected flights are BS 381 and BS 382.
The airline said passengers would be informed once a revised flight schedule was finalised.
US-Bangla has requested passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia not to go to the airport for the time being. Passengers have been advised to contact the airline's sales centres or their travel agencies before visiting the airport to obtain updates on flight status, rebooking and other information. The airline apologised for the temporary inconvenience.
Expatriate workers from different parts of Bangladesh arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka to travel to Saudi Arabia but were unable to leave because of flight cancellations and suspensions.
‘If I cannot return now, I will lose my job’
Abul Hossain was scheduled to fly to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight at 2pm on Monday. He arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka from Senbagh in Noakhali at around 10am to catch the flight, only to learn that it had been cancelled.
Hossain said he had been working in Saudi Arabia for six years and was currently employed as a tile mason in Riyadh. He had returned to Bangladesh on a three-month leave and had booked his return ticket three months in advance in line with his leave schedule.
The cancellation has left him worried about returning to his workplace.
“My leave has ended. If I cannot go back now, I will not be able to keep my job. Everything will become uncertain,” Abul Hossain told Prothom Alo.
Flight information board at the airport
Like Hossain, Md Moslem Talukdar also had his flight cancelled. His flight to Riyadh was scheduled for 12:10pm Bangladesh time. He had been waiting at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport since 10am when he learnt that the flight had been cancelled.
Speaking to Prothom Alo at around 3:30pm, Moslem Talukdar said, “My flight was scheduled for noon, but I could not leave. The airport is shut, and the flight has been cancelled. I am now checking whether I can travel on another flight. Otherwise, I will have to return home.”
He said he was due to join work at a shop in Riyadh.
Between 1pm and 4:30pm on Monday, Prothom Alo spoke to more than 15 passengers who had arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to travel to Saudi Arabia. Most of them were unaware that their flights had been cancelled, while some were waiting to see whether they could reach their destinations on alternative flights.