Biman Bangladesh Airlines has added three weekly flights to Jeddah and deployed higher-capacity aircraft to clear a growing backlog of Saudi-bound travellers, as widespread flight cancellations leave thousands facing mounting uncertainty over their journeys and visa validity.
As of 2pm on Thursday, 103 Saudi-bound flights from Dhaka had been cancelled over a six-day period, leaving 15,779 passengers stranded in the capital, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab).
In response, the national flag carrier has boosted its Dhaka-Jeddah service from four to seven flights a week and replaced Boeing Dreamliners with larger Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
The Boeing 777-300ER accommodates 419 passengers, compared to 271 on the Dreamliner, allowing Biman to carry an additional 148 passengers per flight.
However, the airline has suspended services from Dhaka to Riyadh and Dammam until 18 October, adding to the predicament for travellers bound for those destinations.
Priority for expiring visas
Biman General Manager for Public Relations Shahnur Ahmed told TIMES that the extra Jeddah flights and larger aircraft were deployed on the instructions of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister. He emphasised that the immediate priority is transporting passengers whose Saudi visas are nearing expiry.
Meanwhile, a number of passengers originally booked on the Riyadh route were reallocated to a Dhaka–Madinah flight on Thursday afternoon, with preference given to those under severe time constraints.
Among them was Md Parvez, whose visa had only seven days of validity remaining. He noted that while travelling via Madinah incurred additional expenses, missing his visa deadline would have proved far more disastrous.
Foreign airlines offer limited alternatives
With direct services to Riyadh suspended, private carrier US-Bangla Airlines has stepped in to accommodate a limited number of affected travellers on its Jeddah flights, subject to seat availability.
Foreign carriers have been similarly hit by the operational disruption. Emirates, one of the world’s largest international airlines, has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia, leaving numerous Dhaka-based passengers stranded. Sources familiar with the arrangements confirmed that Emirates is offering full ticket refunds to passengers seeking alternative travel options.
While Biman’s expanded Jeddah capacity aims to ease the severe backlog, direct travel options to Riyadh and Dammam remain unavailable until at least 18 October.
