A total of 86 international flights on the Dhaka-Riyadh route have so far been cancelled due to security concerns following the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militant groups.
Of the cancelled flights, 36 were direct and 50 were transit flights, affecting 13,490 passengers.
Kawsar Mahmud, public relations officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), confirmed the information on Wednesday morning.
According to available data, the affected direct flights include 14 operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 by US-Bangla Airlines, five by Saudia and seven by Riyadh Air.
Among the affected transit flights, 22 were operated by IndiGo, four by SalamAir, one by EgyptAir, 11 by Emirates, six by Qatar Airways and six by flydubai.
With operations at Saudi Arabian airports remaining limited, passengers of the affected flights are facing uncertainty over their travel schedules. Their difficulties have intensified as many have been unable to reach their destinations on time.
According to relevant sources, the number of affected flights and passengers may change further depending on how the situation develops.
FP/A
