BA cancels Saudi-bound flight

BA cancels Saudi-bound flight

BA cancels Saudi-bound flight

British Airways has cancelled Saturday’s scheduled flight from Heathrow to Saudi Arabia amid growing security fears.

The news comes as the flag carrier suspended a flight from London to Washington.

BA flight 263, due to leave London’s Heathrow Airport at 1335GMT for Riyadh was suspended following “security advice” from the Government.

And the return flight, BA262, due to leave Riyadh on Sunday, has also been cancelled.

Monday’s BA flight to Riyadh is still on, BA confirmed, but the airline said it would review the security situation over the weekend.

There were reports last night that a BA flight, scheduled to land in Washington on Friday evening, was escorted by fighter planes as soon as it entered US airspace.

A spokesman said BA’s other flights across the airline’s network were expected to operate as normal on Saturday.

Defence expert Paul Beaver said a “real and definite threat” lay behind the recent cancellations.