141 flights cancelled from Dhaka, 21,933 passengers stranded: Riyadh-Dammam crisis deepens amid Houthi attacks

Flights from Dhaka to Riyadh and Dammam are being cancelled one after another because of repeated Houthi rebel attacks in Saudi Arabia. In this continuing disruption, a total of 141 flights have been cancelled from 10 October to date, and about 21,933 passengers have been stranded in the same period.

Kawsar Mahmud, assistant director of the public relations department of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), provided the figures on Friday night (23 October) at around 11:15pm. According to his account, the scale of the crisis is growing day by day and passengers' waits are getting longer.

He said that of the 141 flights cancelled for security reasons, 66 were direct flights and 75 were transit flights. This means that, alongside direct travellers, those who would have reached Saudi Arabia via connecting flights have also been hit by the crisis.

Among the cancelled direct flights were 27 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 of US-Bangla, 19 of Saudia and 10 of Riyadh Air. With all major domestic and foreign carriers on the cancellation list, passengers' scope for alternatives has also narrowed.

The cancelled transit flights were 29 of IndiGo, 7 of Salam Air, 1 of EgyptAir, 14 of Emirates, 9 of Qatar Airways, 8 of flydubai and 7 of Air India.

Kawsar Mahmud said: 'If the situation does not return to normal, the sequence of flight cancellations will continue.' His remark makes clear that the end of the crisis depends on the security situation in Saudi Arabia, which is beyond Bangladesh's control.

In this continuous cancellation since 10 October, the worst affected are Saudi-bound passengers, a large share of whom are workers and expatriate-related travellers. A cancelled flight means their departure dates are pushed back and they must plan all over again.

The figure of 21,933 stranded passengers also highlights the human side of the crisis. Behind every cancelled flight are countless passengers whose joining work, reaching family, or travelling at a scheduled time has fallen into uncertainty.

The number of cancelled transit flights — 75 — is even higher than direct flights, showing that the regional airspace security situation has affected the entire network. A crisis on one route has spread to connections on other routes.

According to CAAB, this cancellation count covers the period from 10 October until Friday night. The official indicated that if the situation does not change, the number may rise further in the coming days.

For passengers, the most urgent need now is reliable information — which flights are operating, which are cancelled, and what arrangements follow a cancellation. Timely information from carriers and authorities could at least reduce some of the confusion and suffering.

Overall, when this crisis caused by the Houthi attacks will end depends on the security situation in Saudi Arabia returning to normal. Until then, the wait and uncertainty for Riyadh- and Dammam-bound passengers will continue, as indicated by CAAB.