Despite the civil aviation authorities’ perks to airlines including reduced fees and charges, the return of several thousands of expatriates to their workplaces has been hit by high air fares.
While airlines claimed that the hike resulted from high fuel prices in the international market and a passenger crisis, migrant workers say they are paying twice the price, sometimes even more, to catch a flight back to the workplace.
Amid the suspension of regular international flights due to the ongoing virus lockdown, Bangladesh has allowed operating special flights to five countries to facilitate the return of migrant workers.
According to an estimate by recruiting and travel agencies, around 30,000 to 35,000 migrant workers are stranded due to the ‘all-out’ lockdown which started from April 14 and now extended to April 28.
Some 25,000 expats left in special flights in the last five days, according to airport authorities.
Airlines charging exorbitant fare
Visiting the Dhaka airport, this correspondent found the 12 airlines permitted to operate special flights are charging twice the fare, sometimes even more.
Migrant workers from Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal are spending much lower to flights for Oman, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Singapore than their Bangladeshi counterparts.
It costs Tk28,000 for a flight from Kolkata to Saudi Arabia, Tk32,000 from Nepal to Saudi Arabia and Tk40,000 from Sri Lanka to Dubai. However, the same trips from Dhaka cost more than double.But to
Expatriate Habibur Rahman, who came to Dhaka from a remote area in Chittagong, had to spend Tk100,000 for a flight to Saudi Arabia.
Amid a ban on inter-district travel during the lockdown, Rahman had to pay a hefty amount to reach the capital and is now staying at a hotel to catch his flight on April 23.
On top of the cost of the ticket for the Saudi Airlines flight, Rahman has already spent Tk50,000, which he managed through a loan.
Abdul Qaiyum from Comilla bought an Air Arabia flight for Tk100,000 while Shahidul Alam, who is set to board a flight on April 24 midnight, is yet to receive his Covid-19 test report after giving his sample two days ago.
According to industry insiders and migration experts, a lack of concerted efforts between ministries, agencies and other stakeholders have created such a situation.
What do the airlines say?
Most of the airlines declined to comment on the high fare. But cited high fuel prices in the international market and a crisis of passengers behind the prices.
Saudia Airlines’ Sales Manager Mir Omar Khayyam said they did not get enough time to reissue all the tickets over the phone, but he refused to comment on the ticket prices.
National flag carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines said they did not increase the fare. “Rather we kept the passengers, who missed their flights, in hotels,” its spokesperson Tahera Khondoker told Dhaka Tribune.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) says they have given several benefits, including cutting fees, to the airlines to keep the fare low.
“If they still charge high fares, the ministry, BAIRA and other stakeholders should take steps against them,” it’s Chairman M Mofidur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune.
Call for task force
The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) and the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) demanded to form a task force to tackle such crises.
Former BAIRA secretary-general Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman emphasized coordination among the ministries, civil aviation authorities and the immigration department. “That will help us to list the number of expats, fix air fare as well hold airlines and agencies accountable in cases of any problem,” he added.
Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare Shahidul Alam said: “We will form a task force to monitor everything and take appropriate decisions.”
Remittances sent by more than 10 million Bangladeshi migrant workers, one of the driving forces of the country’s economy, accounts for nearly 12 percent of the country’s GDP.
