Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) announced Monday the suspension of all its flights to and from the United States due to the impact of clouds of volcanic ash on the Middle East and US route. Assistant Director General of SAA for Public Relation Abdullah Al-Ajhar said the Saudi national carrier took the decision for the safety of passengers. SAA operates seven flights every week to the US: three from Jeddah to New York, one from Riyadh to New York, one from Jeddah to Washington and two from Riyadh to Washington. Sunday's flight from Washington to Jeddah was canceled as was the Jeddah-New York flight scheduled for Monday, Al-Ajhar said. Passengers on these two flights have been notified, he said. “We have made it possible for our customers to either change their travel dates or get a ticket refund,” Al-Ajhar said. He urged all US-bound passengers to contact 920022222 to check flight updates. Al-Ajhar had no idea when the flights to the US will resume. SAA officials in Saudi Arabia and the US have been asked to provide all possible support and assistance to passengers. About a fortnight ago, SAA resumed its flights to London after volcanic ash that had disrupted air traffic and forced some airports to close dispersed.
