Biman suspends Dammam, Riyadh flights again

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has again suspended flights to Dammam and Riyadh following Houthi attacks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Flights to Dammam will remain suspended until 25 October and those to Riyadh until 31 October, the national flag carrier said in a press release on Thursday night.

According to the release, an attack took place at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday night. In view of the incident, the airline decided to suspend Dammam-bound flights in the interest of passenger safety. 

The suspension of Riyadh-bound flights until 31 October will remain in effect amid the ongoing security situation.

Biman said further decisions regarding the suspended flights and revised schedules would be announced in due course. However, flights from Dhaka to Jeddah and Madinah will continue to operate according to their scheduled timetables.

In emergencies, passengers travelling to Dammam and Riyadh may use Jeddah and Madinah airports to travel to Saudi Arabia and return to Bangladesh, subject to seat availability. 

Passengers have been advised to contact their nearest Biman Bangladesh Airlines sales centre for ticketing and travel-related information.

Biman initially suspended flights to Riyadh and Dammam until 17 October following an attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. The suspension period was subsequently extended.

The airline planned to resume flights on the Dammam route from 21 October, but later postponed the resumption by a day, announcing that services would restart on 22 October. Following that schedule, a flight left Dhaka around 8am on Thursday and arrived in Dammam.

Following Wednesday night's attack, Biman has suspended flights on both routes for the third time.