The suspension of British Airways (BA) flights to Saudi Arabia and the UK is to continue “for some time,” a BA official told Arab News yesterday. “The situation is under continuous review at the ministerial level,” said Chris Phipps, country commercial manager for BA. “By the end of the month, we will be in a position to make decisions based on updated information. The current status is that flights are canceled up to and including Aug. 28.” BA decided to cancel flights in line with strict company guidelines on safety, unlike the earlier cancellation of flights into Nairobi which were suspended by the British government. The decision to cancel the heavily-booked flights into Saudi Arabia was based on information received from Saudi intelligence sources. The decision to continue the ban comes on the heels of heightened tension in the Kingdom following the Riyadh suicide bombings on May 12, which killed 26 bystanders and nine of the attackers, and subsequent shootouts between suspected militants and police. It was in the aftermath of these incidents that evidence of terrorist intent to focus action on “British interests” was discovered and linked to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Full Story
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