Jet fuel crunch grounds flights out of Dhaka
By IANSWednesday, May 12, 2010
DHAKA - Two flights of Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) were cancelled Wednesday amid a jet fuel crisis caused by a river port transport workers’ strike that continued for the fifth day.
officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and the SAA confirmed cancellation of the flights, one to Riyadh at noon and the other to Dammam two hours later.
The SAA country director met the CAAB officials, who assured him supply of 40 tonnes of fuel for each flight, website of The Daily Star reported.
The airline said it may have to cancel flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday if the air turbine fuel (ATF) is not received on time.
Thousands of Bangladeshi expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries travel on this route.
The imported ATF’s supplies depend upon their being ferried from the river ports.
The Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation has rejected the new wage structure announced by the government last Friday, which hiked salaries by 50 percent for various categories of workers.
