Dhaka: The authorities of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have cancelled three more scheduled hajj flights due to shortage of pilgrims for visa complications.

With these, a total of 17 hajj flights have been cancelled since the first day of hajj flight operation on July 24.

The three flights cancelled were BG 1051, scheduled to depart at 6:25 pm on Tuesday, and BG 3039 and BG 3041, scheduled to take off on Sunday and later delayed for shortage of pilgrims, said Shakil Meraj, General Manager Public Relations (GMPR) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

A total of 177 flights were scheduled to carry the hajj pilgrims till August 26. Among them, only 29 dedicated flights and 8 scheduled flights took off for Saudi so far.

Some 127,198 pilgrims were scheduled to perform hajj from Bangladesh this year under government and private managements.