Staff Reporter

A total of 189 flights from Dhaka to Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled, leaving more than 23,000 passengers facing travel disruptions.

According to sources at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the flights were cancelled between 10 October and Wednesday (11 November). Of the cancelled flights, 112 were direct flights, while 77 were transit flights. A total of 23,274 passengers have been affected by the cancellations.

Among the cancelled direct flights, 55 belonged to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 to US-Bangla Airlines, 22 to Saudia and 25 to Riyadh Airways.

Meanwhile, the cancelled transit flights included 30 operated by IndiGo, 14 by Emirates, nine by Qatar Airways, eight by flydubai, seven by SalamAir, eight by Air India and one by EgyptAir.

Passengers travelling on these flights were scheduled to reach Riyadh and Dammam through transit stops at airports in different countries. However, following the cancellation of connecting flights from those countries, the airlines did not transport passengers who were waiting in Dhaka.

Earlier, Riyadh Airport was reportedly closed following attacks by Houthi forces. Dammam also witnessed attacks during the same period.

Amid the deteriorating security situation, Biman Bangladesh Airlines initially decided to suspend its flight operations on the Dhaka-Riyadh and Dhaka-Dammam routes until 17 October. The airline subsequently extended the suspension period.

As a result, thousands of passengers have been left in uncertainty, facing significant difficulties travelling from Dhaka to these two major destinations in Saudi Arabia.