Migrant workers hamstrung by high air fares to Middle East
Some of the fares have doubled in just three months
Infographic Dhaka Tribune
Mamun Abdullah
Publish : 22 Jan 2022, 12:03 AMUpdate : 14 Feb 2022, 12:03 PM
Bangladeshi migrant workers continue to suffer from unreasonably high airfares to the Middle Eastern countries despite their massive contribution to the national economy.
The price of air tickets to some Middle Eastern countries has more than doubled in the three months since November last year.
Experts blame a syndicate of travel and recruiting agents for artificially inflating the prices, while representatives of airlines claim the skyrocketing fares are the result of high demand and hikes in fuel prices.
One-way air tickets from Dhaka to Muscat, the capital of Oman, were being sold for around Tk35,000 each in November last year. By January, the price of the tickets had risen to around Tk1 lakh.
The price of air tickets from Dhaka to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Medina have all seen similar increases over the past three months.
Ineffective price cuts
Public outcry over the rising airfares led Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad to seek Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention in December.
Subsequently, national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines reduced airfares from Dhaka to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi effective from January 16.
The maximum one-way fare for an economy class ticket was reduced from Tk72,455 to Tk64,620 on the Dhaka-Jeddah route, Tk70,758 to Tk63,123 on Dhaka-Riyadh, Tk75,508 to Tk62,784 on Dhaka-Dubai, and from Tk67,025 to Tk58,542 on the Dhaka-Abu Dhabi route.
However, passengers are yet to feel the benefits of the price cut as all tickets on the routes are sold out till March, according to Biman sources.
Syndicate hoarding tickets
According to industry insiders and migration experts, a syndicate of recruiting and travel agents has been buying out all tickets to the Middle East and then selling them back to travellers at raised prices.
Former president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab) SN Manzoor Murshed Mahbub blamed officials of the association for creating the artificial crisis of tickets to make illegal profits.
Addressing a press meet recently, he said a lack of government monitoring was allowing the syndicate to exploit migrant workers.
He also claimed Biman was guilty of preferential treatment by allocating 75% of available air tickets to only a handful of travel and recruiting agents.
On condition of anonymity, a source from a local airline said members of the syndicate ranged from employees of travel and recruiting agents to high officials of airlines and the government.
Asked about the matter, Atab President Monsur Ahmed Kalam said the government should identify the members of the syndicate and bring them to justice.
Airlines blame fuel price, demand more flights
Currently, only two domestic airlines – Biman and US Bangla Airlines – and some international operators, including Saudia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Fly Dubai, Etihad, Air Arabia, and Emirates, operate special flights to the Middle East.
Most of the airlines that Dhaka Tribune contacted declined to comment on the high fares.
A top Saudia Airlines official cited high fuel prices in the international market for the fare hike.
Other aviation insiders urged the government to increase the number of flights as per the requirement of airlines to help ticket prices to come down.
Kamrul Islam, general manager of public relations at US-Bangla Airlines, said: "If the government wants to further reduce ticket prices, it will have to subsidize fuel oil while fuel prices that have risen 67% in the last 11 months."
However, sources from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said they have already given several benefits to airlines, including the cutting of various fees, to keep ticket prices low.
CAAB Chairman M Mofidur Rahman said they will consider increasing the number of flights if it is required.
Aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam urged the government to take steps to stop the abnormal rise in airfares.
On December 10, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment sent a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to reduce the extra cost of flight tickets, and some recruiting agencies demanded a task force to tackle the issue.
So far, no official decision has been made in this regard.
Migrant workers hamstrung by high air fares to Middle East
Some of the fares have doubled in just three months
Bangladeshi migrant workers continue to suffer from unreasonably high airfares to the Middle Eastern countries despite their massive contribution to the national economy.
The price of air tickets to some Middle Eastern countries has more than doubled in the three months since November last year.
Experts blame a syndicate of travel and recruiting agents for artificially inflating the prices, while representatives of airlines claim the skyrocketing fares are the result of high demand and hikes in fuel prices.
One-way air tickets from Dhaka to Muscat, the capital of Oman, were being sold for around Tk35,000 each in November last year. By January, the price of the tickets had risen to around Tk1 lakh.
The price of air tickets from Dhaka to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Medina have all seen similar increases over the past three months.
Ineffective price cuts
Public outcry over the rising airfares led Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad to seek Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention in December.
Subsequently, national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines reduced airfares from Dhaka to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi effective from January 16.
The maximum one-way fare for an economy class ticket was reduced from Tk72,455 to Tk64,620 on the Dhaka-Jeddah route, Tk70,758 to Tk63,123 on Dhaka-Riyadh, Tk75,508 to Tk62,784 on Dhaka-Dubai, and from Tk67,025 to Tk58,542 on the Dhaka-Abu Dhabi route.
However, passengers are yet to feel the benefits of the price cut as all tickets on the routes are sold out till March, according to Biman sources.
Syndicate hoarding tickets
According to industry insiders and migration experts, a syndicate of recruiting and travel agents has been buying out all tickets to the Middle East and then selling them back to travellers at raised prices.
Former president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab) SN Manzoor Murshed Mahbub blamed officials of the association for creating the artificial crisis of tickets to make illegal profits.
Addressing a press meet recently, he said a lack of government monitoring was allowing the syndicate to exploit migrant workers.
He also claimed Biman was guilty of preferential treatment by allocating 75% of available air tickets to only a handful of travel and recruiting agents.
On condition of anonymity, a source from a local airline said members of the syndicate ranged from employees of travel and recruiting agents to high officials of airlines and the government.
Asked about the matter, Atab President Monsur Ahmed Kalam said the government should identify the members of the syndicate and bring them to justice.
Airlines blame fuel price, demand more flights
Currently, only two domestic airlines – Biman and US Bangla Airlines – and some international operators, including Saudia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Fly Dubai, Etihad, Air Arabia, and Emirates, operate special flights to the Middle East.
Most of the airlines that Dhaka Tribune contacted declined to comment on the high fares.
A top Saudia Airlines official cited high fuel prices in the international market for the fare hike.
Other aviation insiders urged the government to increase the number of flights as per the requirement of airlines to help ticket prices to come down.
Kamrul Islam, general manager of public relations at US-Bangla Airlines, said: "If the government wants to further reduce ticket prices, it will have to subsidize fuel oil while fuel prices that have risen 67% in the last 11 months."
However, sources from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said they have already given several benefits to airlines, including the cutting of various fees, to keep ticket prices low.
CAAB Chairman M Mofidur Rahman said they will consider increasing the number of flights if it is required.
Aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam urged the government to take steps to stop the abnormal rise in airfares.
On December 10, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment sent a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to reduce the extra cost of flight tickets, and some recruiting agencies demanded a task force to tackle the issue.
So far, no official decision has been made in this regard.
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