Biman suspends Dhaka-Riyadh flights until 17 October, US-Bangla suspends Riyadh flights until 21 October
Restrictions on flight operations at Saudi Arabian airports after deadly weekend attacks by Yemen’s Houthis have disrupted 51 direct and transit flights from Bangladesh, affecting 5,418 passengers, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
In a press release on Monday , CAAB said the cancellations and suspensions had affected flights operated by several airlines serving Bangladesh, either directly or through transit routes, from Saturday night until yesterday afternoon.
Of the 51 affected flights, 12 were direct services between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, while the remaining 39 were transit flights operated by international airlines.
The affected 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, nine by Emirates, five each by Qatar Airways and flydubai, three by SalamAir and one by EgyptAir.
The disruption has continued to spread beyond direct routes to Saudi Arabia, affecting international transit connections and leaving passengers uncertain about their travel plans.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines later suspended all flights from Dhaka to Riyadh until 17 October due to the closure of King Khalid International Airport.
US-Bangla Airlines also suspended all Dhaka-Riyadh-Dhaka flights until 21 October following the repeated attacks.
Biman also suspended its Dhaka-Dammam flight BG-349, scheduled to depart at 3:10pm Bangladesh time on Monday, citing security concerns.
Meanwhile, the disruption follows a series of attacks on Saudi airports over the weekend.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to media reports.
Saudi authorities reported a further attack on Riyadh airport on Sunday, when an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4, causing a fire and injuring 11 people. The Saudi-led coalition also said its air defences intercepted a cruise missile near the airport.
The Houthis in Yemen said they were behind them and warned airlines and passengers against using Saudi Arabian airports and airspace.
The group said they had targeted the airport with a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones in the past 24 hours.
They also attacked oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia, their military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said.
He vowed to continue the “escalating operations deep inside Saudi Arabia”, warning that all Saudi airports were potential targets apart from those in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
The Houthis have said they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen’s civil war, as well as an air strike on the airport in Sanaa.