Flight operations connecting Bangladesh with Saudi Arabia remained disrupted on Wednesday as restrictions at Saudi airports affected direct and transit services. The latest count attributed to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) covers the period through 7pm on 14 October.
CAAB figures cited by Prothom Alo, The Business Standard and The Financial Express show 100 affected flights: 41 direct services and 59 transit flights. The same reports put the number of affected passengers at 15,393. The total includes cancellations, suspensions and other disruptions; it is not a count of 100 outright cancellations.
Among direct services, Biman Bangladesh Airlines had 17 affected flights, US-Bangla Airlines 10, and Saudia and Riyadh Air seven each. On transit routes, IndiGo had 22 affected flights and Emirates 14, according to the figures reported by those outlets.
Passengers have faced rerouting and rebooking. Prothom Alo and TBS reported travellers waiting at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, while TBS described higher costs for some Umrah pilgrims switching routes. Biman suspended Dhaka services to Riyadh and Dammam through 17 October, the reports said.
CAAB instructed airlines to inform affected passengers about cancellations and schedule changes and provide rebooking and refund information, The Daily Star reported. The figures are a snapshot and may change as operations develop; travellers should check directly with their airline before heading to the airport.