Covid-19 outbreak: Biman cancels flights to Saudi Arabia

Biman Bangladesh Airlines canceled flight operations to Saudi Arabia for a week from Monday as the country imposed ban on flights due to the fresh outbreak of novel coronavirus.

Biman cancelled all of its flights to Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam for a week from today following Saudi Arabia’s ban over coronavirus outbreak, Biman said it in a press release this morning.

The passengers of the cancelled flights will be given seats on condition of seat vacancy in priority basis after resuming the flight operations, the press release added.    

There were schedule of operating a total of 21 flights of the national flag carrier on the three routes in the week, Tahera Khatun, deputy general manager (media) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told the Business Insider.  

Approximately 5,000 passengers were scheduled to leave Dhaka for Saudi Arabia by Biman’s flights while around 6,000 travelers were scheduled to return home from the country in same time, she said.

“We have already sent messages to our all travelers through mobile phone and assured them of trouble-free journey after resumption of the flight operations,” the Biman official added.  

Saudi Arabia took such decision following the fresh outbreak of deadly coronavirus in many countries across the world including the UK.

Saudi Arabia suspends all international flights for travelers, except in exceptional cases, temporarily for a week, which can be extended for another week, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The foreign flights that are currently inside the Kingdom, they are allowed to leave the country, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The Saudi authority also suspended entry to the Kingdom through land and sea ports temporarily for a week, which can be extended for another week, it said.

The Saudi Press Agency in its report said anyone who has returned from or passed through a European country or any country where the new strain has appeared, during the past three months, must take a Covid-19 test.

They must stay home isolation for two weeks, starting from the date of entering the Kingdom and to take a Covid-19 test during the isolation period and retake the test every five days, it said.