10 Dhaka–Riyadh flights cancelled after attack on Saudi airport

Ten flights from Dhaka to Riyadh have been cancelled following a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. A total of 3,431 passengers were scheduled to travel on these flights.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) provided the information on Monday morning.

According to CAAB, the cancelled flights include two operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, two by US-Bangla Airlines, three by Saudia and three by Riyadh Air.

In a press release yesterday, Sunday, the state-owned airline said passengers would be informed of the revised schedules for its two cancelled flights at 12:00 pm Monday. Biman suspended flights BG 339 and BG 340 on Saturday night.

Following the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday night, the airport suspended operations. This disrupted air connectivity between Dhaka and Riyadh. By Sunday, CAAB had reported the cancellation of eight flights from Dhaka, leaving 2,951 passengers stranded.

Updating its information on Monday morning, CAAB said the number of cancelled flights had risen to 10. The number of affected passengers had also increased.

The attack on Riyadh airport has created uncertainty over flight operations. Passengers have been advised to contact their airlines to check the latest status of their flights.

According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, all flights bound for Riyadh have either been diverted or cancelled.

A Reuters report said the decision followed attacks and explosions at the Saudi capital’s international airport.

Reuters reported the suspension of flights at Riyadh International Airport, adding that airport authorities had advised passengers to contact their respective airlines before travelling to the airport and to check the latest status of their flights.