Saudi Air Force fighter jet crashes during routine mission; No casualties

RIYADH: A fighter plane belonging to the Saudi Air Force has crashed. The accident took place on Monday afternoon in the area of the air base in the eastern province of the country. The Ministry of Defense said that the crew who were on board at the time of the accident were rescued. It is not clear whether they have suffered any kind of injury. The official announcement is that the tornado class aircraft crashed during a test flight at the King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran.

Meanwhile, a new law protecting the rights of air passengers will come into effect in Saudi Arabia on November 20. The passenger shall be compensated up to double the cost of the flight ticket in case of indefinite delay, postponement, cancellation without warning, or denial of seat due to overbooking.

The passenger has the right to claim compensation for the lapse in service from ticketing to baggage claim. In case of loss of luggage, the passenger is entitled to compensation up to 6568 Riyals. If the flight is delayed for more than two hours, passengers can file a complaint against the airline. The law also applies to Hajj and Umrah passenger flights. Even if there is a stopover that is not mentioned while booking the ticket, passengers can complain and seek compensation. Air service is expected to improve once the law comes into force.