51 Saudi-Bound Flights Cancelled, 5,418 Passengers Stranded

At least 51 flights from Dhaka to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah have been cancelled between Saturday and October 15 following Houthi attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia, leaving 5,418 passengers stranded in Bangladesh.

Squadron Leader Shakib, an official responsible for security and flight management at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, disclosed the information on Monday afternoon.

Of the affected flights, 12 were direct services operated by four airlines: Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, Saudia and Riyadh Air.

The remaining 39 were transit flights operated by IndiGo, SalamAir, EgyptAir, Emirates, Qatar Airways and flydubai.

The cancellations have disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers, including migrant workers travelling to Saudi Arabia for employment and other travellers connecting through the kingdom.

The disruption follows a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Deadly Attack on Riyadh Airport

On Saturday, a missile exploded above Terminal 3 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 13 people, including two Bangladeshis, and injuring 308 others, according to the incident report.

The other victims included four Saudi nationals and one citizen each from India, the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.

A further attack targeted the airport on Sunday, killing a Pakistani expatriate and injuring 11 others.

The repeated attacks have heightened security concerns and disrupted air travel between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, leaving thousands of passengers uncertain about their departure dates.