A total of 134 flights to Saudi Arabia were cancelled up to 5:11 pm on Wednesday due to the suspension of flight operations on several routes, leaving 20,254 passengers stranded in Dhaka.
The cancelled services included 61 direct flights and 73 transit flights, with Bangladeshi expatriates working in Saudi Arabia forming a large portion of the stranded travellers.
Among the airlines operating direct routes, Biman Bangladesh Airlines cancelled 22 flights, Saudia Airlines 19, US-Bangla Airlines 10, and Riyadh Airways 10.
For transit carriers, IndiGo recorded the highest number of disruptions with 28 cancelled flights. Additionally, Emirates cancelled 14 flights, Qatar Airways 9, flydubai 8, SalamAir 7, Air India 6, and EgyptAir 1 flight.
The flight cancellations follow the decision by Saudi authorities to suspend operations at Riyadh and Dammam airports after a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October.
