‘Fix rational airfare for ME-bound migrants’

The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) on Tuesday urged the government to fix a logical airfare for the Middle East-bound migrant workers as different airlines doubled the one-way fare causing trouble for the remittance senders.    

At a press conference in the capital, ATAB President Monsur Ahmed Kalam said a migrant worker now spends over Tk 75,000 for the one-way fare to fly to Saudi Arabia by Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the fare is Tk 74,000-75,000 by Saudi Airlines, while the range of fare was between Tk 40,000 and Tk 45,000 earlier.

“Migrant workers are facing trouble due to the irrational hike of ticket prices by the airlines. Many of them are losing jobs as they fail to reach their respective destinations on time,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government of Saudi Arabia has made the Covid booster dose mandatory for the migrant workers to enter the country which will come into effect from February, the association president said.

“In the circumstances, a larger part of the migrants has yet to receive the double dose of vaccine. In addition, the sudden hike of ticket price just added more suffering to them,” he said.

To address the crises, the ATAB president demanded to increase the number of flights of Middle Eastern airlines, including Biman Bangladesh, expedite the process of approval of additional slots of airlines by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, announce special fares by the government for migrant workers, and form regulatory board for stopping illogical fare hike by the airlines.