Saudi airline cuts number of flights to Bangladesh

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FLIGHTS CUT: Saudi Arabian Airlines has reported reduced its service to Dhaka. (Getty Images)

Saudi Arabian Airlines is cutting one third of its passenger flights from the kingdom to Bangladeshi capital Dhaka in April following a slump in demand.

The carrier is expected to reduce services between Saudi and the Bangladesh to eight weekly flights from 12.

The passenger slowdown was attributed to Saudi’s decision to stop recruiting workers from Bangladesh, the Financial Express reported.

To cut capacity, the airline is expected to replace its 440-seater B747 with a 300-seater Boeing 777.

MA Muhaimin Saleh, president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) was quoted as saying the overseas recruitment freeze could spell bad news for Saudi Arabia.

“The UAE's overheating economy is now under threat to falter,” he added. “Unless overseas employment in the Middle Eastern nations, particularly in Saudi Arabia picks up, other Gulf carriers will also follow suit.”

It is understood that some 200,000 Bangladeshi workers secured jobs in the kingdom throughout 2007. Saudi was only second to Dubai as the biggest employer of Bangladeshis last year.

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