Biman Bangladesh Airlines has made plans to conduct a flight to Riyadh on the early morning of October 26 as the situation improves post the attacks on Saudi airports. The national flag carrier announced that the flight is set to leave Dhaka at 1:25 am Bangladesh time on that day.
The airline mentioned that it will assess the general circumstances before deciding on running additional flights to Riyadh. Additionally, Biman has resumed flights to Dammam, with daily departures from Dhaka scheduled at 8:00 am until October 26, utilizing Boeing 777 aircraft.
Flight BG350 from Dammam to Dhaka took off today and was still en route at the time of reporting as per flight-tracking website Flightradar24. For Jeddah, Biman is planning two flights from Dhaka on October 22, followed by one daily flight at 7:20 pm on October 23, 24, and 25.
Regarding flights to Madina, operations have been normal since October 18 using Boeing 787 aircraft, and Biman stated that the existing schedule would persist until further updates. Passengers will be notified of any changes to flight schedules and are advised to contact Biman’s sales offices for booking and travel guidance.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) revealed that 134 flights involving Bangladesh have been impacted by restrictions at Saudi Arabian airports, causing inconvenience to 20,254 passengers. Out of these flights, 61 were direct services, with the remaining 73 being transit flights through other nations.
Among direct carriers, Biman led with 22 affected flights, followed by Saudia with 19, US-Bangla Airlines and Riyadh Air each with 10. Among the transit operators, IndiGo had 28 affected flights, Emirates 14, Qatar Airways nine, and others like flydubai, SalamAir, Air India, and EgyptAir also facing disruptions.
Despite the reopening of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 18, flight activities remain restricted. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) effective from October 17 mandates airlines to secure prior authorization from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) before operating flights to or from the airport.
Reports indicated that the Saudi-led coalition intercepted drones above the Madina region and the kingdom’s Eastern Province. However, Yemen’s Houthi movement denied any involvement in launching the drones or conducting military actions against Saudi Arabia.
