Four flights of Biman suspended

Expatriate worker Jobayer Ahmed had come home on leave after two years and three months.

As he was scheduled to fly for Sudia Arabia, he came to Dhaka from Sylhet on Friday. He underwent Covid-19 testing too.

Jobayer Ahmed’s flight was scheduled to depart at 2:50pm on Saturday. He has been waiting at the airport since morning, but he has no idea whether the flight would take off. Like Jobayer, more than 100 outbound passengers were also waiting to catch their flights.

Passengers said their uncertainty started since early hours. Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended its flight, scheduled to depart for the capital of Suadi Arabia, Riyadh at 6:15am.

Sources at the national flag carrier said, as many as four flights have already been suspended on Saturday and a flight may take off in the evening.

Deputy general manager (public relations) of Biman, Tahera Khandaker, confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo on Saturday morning.

She said Saudi Arabia isn’t allowing special flights. However, an application has been sent and hopefully they would get it soon. A flight may leave for Riyadh at 6:00pm upon receiving the permission.

According to Biman’s public relation department, two Saudi Arabia-bound flights, scheduled to take off at 6:15am and 2:50pm, and two Dubai-bound fights have been suspended.

However, Biman has arranged accommodation for 201 passengers of the flight, scheduled to leave at 6:00am, at hotel. Accommodation will also be provided for the passengers of other flights.

Meanwhile, two Dubai-bound flights have been suspended due to shortage of passengers.

Tahera Khandaker said all passengers have been sent massage via mobile phone after the announcement of special flight operation. Passengers were instructed to confirm their flights at the nearest Biman’s ticket centre.

Only 22 and 25 passengers confirmed the two flights, scheduled to leave for Dubai, although 300 passengers had collected tickets for one of these flights. These flights have been suspended due to shortage of passengers, she added.

Biman has five flights to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate on Sunday and all of them will depart, she hoped.

International flights have remained suspended from 14 to 21 April amid the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions across the country, causing uncertainty among expatriate workers over returning to their workplaces aboard.

The government on 15 April decided to allow regular flights under special arrangement to carry expatriate workers to five countries namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar and Singapore.

More than hundreds of people, mostly migrants working in Saudi Arabia, demonstrated in front of Saudia’s office in the capital’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel on Saturday as they missed their flights and validity of their visas will expire soon.

Protesters surrounded the Karwan Bazar intersection at 12:00pm. Since they found the Saudia office locked, they began demonstrating in front of the counter.

Manun Talukder, from Shariatpur, came to Dhaka spending Tk 12,000. His fight is scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia at 2:00am Sunday. He said Saudia didn’t send any message. He doesn’t have any update on his flight and doesn't have a place to stay in Dhaka.

Migrant Rafiqul Baperi, from Madaripur, is also scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia at 2:00am Sunday.

He said, “Travel agency has asked us to contact to Suadia. We didn’t get any information here. My visa has two more days. If I can’t go, will the government take the responsibility?”

Police have been deployed at the spot.