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Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated a flight to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, carrying 379 passengers on Thursday, despite a series of attacks on Saudi airports attributed to Houthi fighters.
The flight departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 8:00 am on October 22, according to Shahnur Ahmed, spokesperson for Biman’s public relations department.
He confirmed that the flight left on schedule after obtaining the necessary clearance from the authorities.
Earlier on Wednesday, an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed one person and injured eight others, according to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority. Several of the injured were in critical condition, and all were taken to hospital.
Saudi air defences also intercepted a drone targeting a facility at the Shaybah oil field, operated by state-owned Saudi Aramco. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said two people were killed in the incident.
The attacks have occurred amid escalating hostilities involving Saudi Arabia and Houthi fighters in Yemen. Riyadh supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Saudi Arabia previously reported casualties from attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. A missile strike on October 11 reportedly killed one person and injured 11 others. A separate attack on the airport on October 10 killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to the civil aviation authority.
The security situation has disrupted air travel between Dhaka and Saudi Arabia, forcing the cancellation of direct and transit flights. By Wednesday, 134 flights had been cancelled, leaving more than 20,000 passengers stranded.
In response, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has revised its flight schedules to Saudi destinations.
In a notice issued on Wednesday, the airline said a Riyadh-bound flight would operate on October 25, citing an improvement in the situation. The flight is scheduled to leave Dhaka at 1:25 am Bangladesh time on October 26. Decisions on other Riyadh-bound services will be taken after further assessment.
Biman resumed flights on the Dammam route on October 21. Until October 26, daily flights are scheduled to depart Dhaka at 8:00 am using Boeing 777 aircraft.
Two flights from Dhaka to Jeddah are scheduled for Thursday. Additional Jeddah-bound flights will depart at 7:20 pm on October 23, 24 and 25.
Meanwhile, flights to Medina have continued regularly since October 18 using Boeing 787 aircraft. The airline said operations and schedules on the Medina route would remain unchanged until further notice.
