Saudi airports disrupt 126 Dhaka flights

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian airports have hampered travel for 19,377 passengers from Dhaka with the revocation or suspension of 126 flights over nine days.

Authorities of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Monday said that 59 direct flights and 67 transit flights were cancelled or suspended.

The direct flights included 20 operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 by US-Bangla Airlines, 19 by Saudia and 10 by Riyadh Air.

US-Bangla has cancelled its Riyadh services until Oct 21, while Biman has suspended flights on the route indefinitely.

Biman is planning to resume Dammam services on Oct 21 after reviewing the situation.

Among transit services, India’s IndiGo recorded the highest number of cancellations, with 24 flights.

Emirates cancelled 14, Qatar Airways nine, SalamAir seven, flydubai six, Air India six and EgyptAir one.

The cancellations began after Yemen’s Houthi group launched repeated attacks on Riyadh and Dammam airports from Oct 10. An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that afternoon was described as the deadliest assault in Saudi Arabia in recent times.

It has killed 13 people of various nationalities and injured 308, including two Bangladeshis killed and 27 wounded.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened further attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, calling them legitimate targets. The group says its strikes are retaliation for Saudi attacks in Yemen.