100 Saudi-bound flights cancelled, disrupting 15,393 migrant workers, Umrah pilgrims
The cancellations include 41 direct and 59 transit flights, while the government seeks visa extensions for stranded migrant workers and passengers struggle to secure refunds and alternative tickets.
Flight cancellations following attacks on Riyadh airport have disrupted travel for 15,393 passengers, including migrant workers and Umrah pilgrims, with 100 direct and transit flights affected amid uncertainty over jobs, visas and return journeys.
As of 6:30pm on Wednesday (14 October), 41 direct flights and 59 transit flights from Dhaka had been affected by restricted operations at Saudi airports, according to the latest figures provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab).
Biman Bangladesh Airlines had the highest number of affected direct flights at 17, followed by US-Bangla Airlines with 10. Saudia Airlines and Riyadh Airways each had seven affected flights.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Among transit flights, IndiGo accounted for 22 cancellations, followed by Emirates Airlines with 14, SalamAir and Qatar Airways with seven each, Flydubai with six, Air India with two and EgyptAir with one.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended flights from Dhaka to Dammam and Riyadh until 17 October, citing passenger safety concerns.
Passengers face higher costs for alternative flights
Sources at recruiting agencies and Umrah agencies said passengers were having to pay extra to travel on alternative routes. Those seeking to return from Saudi Arabia were also having to arrange flights at up to twice the usual cost.
Passengers holding return tickets are struggling to secure refunds or alternative flights, with fares on other airlines sometimes doubling.
Umrah pilgrims are among those facing travel disruptions. Akbar Ali, owner of an Umrah agency, told TBS that at least 200 pilgrims booked through his agencies had been affected by cancellations.
Forty pilgrims scheduled to return on 11 October via Riyadh Airways had to be rebooked on SalamAir flights instead, doubling ticket prices from Tk30,000 to Tk60,000, he added.
Airport sources said the number of stranded passengers waiting at the airport was comparatively lower on Wednesday than over the previous four days. However, many passengers were still waiting at the airport on their own.
On Monday, Caab sent a letter to airlines asking them to keep track of stranded passengers and provide necessary assistance.
Passengers travelling to Riyadh and Dammam seek alternative flights
As of this afternoon, some passengers whose flights had been cancelled were trying to reach Saudi Arabia through alternative flights. Before that, some passengers had travelled via Jeddah and Dammam by Sunday.
However, neither Caab nor Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authorities could confirm how many passengers had managed to travel through these alternative routes.
Following the attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday night, flights from Dhaka to Riyadh were cancelled. From Wednesday, some flights to Jeddah and Dammam were also cancelled, according to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authorities.
Govt seeks visa extensions for stranded workers
The government is pursuing bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia to extend the visas of stranded Bangladeshi workers, State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque said on Monday.
He acknowledged that negotiations would be difficult amid the crisis but expressed hope for a solution that would allow workers whose visas were nearing expiry to return to their jobs.
The state minister said the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh was monitoring injured Bangladeshis, with the ambassador and senior officials visiting hospitals. He added that Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries were assisting with medical treatment and repatriation of the deceased.
The government was also supporting affected families. Under bilateral agreements, some companies provide compensation, while families of deceased workers registered with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training receive around Tk13.5 lakh in government assistance, he said.
Meanwhile, Caab has instructed airlines operating direct and transit flights to Saudi Arabia to promptly inform passengers of cancellations and delays and arrange rebooking, refunds and other assistance.
In a statement issued on Monday, it also asked airlines to direct passengers needing visa extensions or immigration assistance to Saudi authorities, the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka and relevant agencies.
Bangladesh seeks repatriation of victims
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has sought Saudi Arabia's assistance in expediting the repatriation of two nationals killed in the Riyadh attack.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam made the request during a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Abdullah bin Zafer Abiyah in Dhaka yesterday, according to the foreign ministry.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury yesterday urged expatriates to stay alert, remain in safe locations and contact Bangladesh embassies in emergencies.
"We are regularly checking on expatriates following the attack. I have personally spoken to the father of one of the injured, and assured him of assistance," he told journalists after inspecting a labour welfare complex in Narayanganj's Bandar area.
