Complaints about high air fares, passenger services and a lack of cooperation from various airways and airport officials dominated Tuesday’s public hearing, initiated by the authorities.
The aim of the hearing, arranged once a year, was to improve the quality of passenger services at the airport. As many as six migrant workers participated in the hearing. Representatives of local and international flight operators were also present.
The Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authorities and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) organized the mass hearing at Kurmitola in the capital on Tuesday.
Complainant Md Touhidul Islam, from Comilla, shared his bizarre experience with regard to the ticket prices of the Dhaka-Riyadh route.
The migrant worker said he had bought round-trip tickets twice to travel to Saudi Arabia at Tk50,000 from Etihad Airways, the second largest airline of the United Arab Emirates.
However, his relatives had to pay the national flag carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Tk120,000 for a single trip, Touhidul said at the hearing.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman explained that the air fares were higher due to the fewer number of flights on the Middle East-bound routes.
He also mentioned that some of the airlines had already reduced fares.
Md Riad Sarkar, another complainant, demanded that the Biman authorities inform passengers about flight delays over phone or SMS to reduce harassment.
He was scheduled to fly to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on a Biman flight at 3pm on Tuesday. But when he arrived at the airport, he found that the flight would be delayed and would take off at 11pm.
Although there is a rule to notify the passengers in advance, Riad learned about the delay from his co-passengers. Many passengers like him did not know about the delay until they came to the airport, he added.
When he went to the Biman counter, he said, the officials treated him like a beggar instead of taking care of a customer.
Regarding the quality of passenger services at the airport, he said: “The way they work at the airport, it seems to me that Dhaka airport is like a recreation center or sea beach to them.”
In response, the CAAB chairman ordered the Biman officials concerned to address such issues at the earliest.
KSA bound migrant worker Golam Mostafa complained about delays in getting immigration and luggage clearances at the airport, as well as flight delays by Biman.
USA citizen Prof Carl Augustss also took part in the public hearing.
Despite being appreciative of the hospitality of the airport officials, he complained about not being able to use the airport Wi-Fi.
Biman Station Master Arifuzzaman Khan acknowledged the issue of non-cooperation by some officials, and promised to solve the passengers’ issues immediately.
He, however, could not explain the reasons behind flight delays.
At the event, Rashedul Islam Khan, commanding officer of Airport Armed Police (AAP), asked all passengers not to cooperate with smugglers by carrying illegal goods or gold during travel.
‘CAAB working to improve passenger service’
At the hearing, the CAAB chief claimed that all agencies including the immigration, various airways and APBn had been jointly working to improve passenger service in the last two years.
"We are always trying to respond and mitigate the passenger problems and setting up various modern facilities so that the air passengers can easily avail hassle-free travel in and out from Bangladesh,” Air Vice Marshal Mafidur said.
Compared with other international airports, he further added: “We made it possible to operate flights during the peak time of the pandemic while many international airports could not run properly.
“We always give high priority to the quality of passenger service so that it maintains the international standard.”
Mentioning progress in various sections to ensure flexible air travel, the airport’s outgoing Executive Director Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan said that every day, some 30,000 passengers use this airport.
He added that, despite the shortage of manpower, the authorities are constantly trying to ensure the quality of passenger service.
Among others, the newly-appointed airport executive director, Group Captian Kamrul Islam, was present at the hearing.
