Riyadh Air resumes flights to Dhaka with alternative arrangement

Dhaka: Riyadh Air has resumed services to Dhaka, with the first flight arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 05:11 pm on October 27.

The aircraft, however, departed from Al Qassim, not Riyadh, as the airline temporarily shifted selected services to the Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport, following the closure of King Khalid International Airport due to repeated Houthi attacks on the facility.

The Al Qassim-Dhaka route will see three weekly flights — every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday — down from daily flights. The carrier did not confirm how long the service would last.

In an official travel update, Riyadh Air said passengers originally booked to and from Riyadh can rebook to or from Al Qassim for travel up to and including November 7 by contacting the airline.

Those traveling through Al Qassim can take a complimentary coach service from Riyadh or make their own way to the airport.

The Saudi Arabian carrier began operations to Dhaka on August 8 this year. Its daily service between the two capitals ran until the Houthi attacks broke out on its main hub in Riyadh.

The repeated missile and drone attacks since early October have killed at least 15 people and injured over 300, as well as damaging multiple aircraft, including a Saudia Airbus A320.

In addition to Dhaka, Riyadh Air has started flights to five other destinations from Al Qassim: Cairo, Jeddah, London, Lahore, and Islamabad.