Airfare hike reins in migrant workers’ flight

A hopping hike in airfare has brought gloom to the middle-east bound migrant workers struggling to purchase air ticket to fly to their workplaces.

According to the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, around 50,000 migrants, most of whom are Saudi-bound, are staying in Bangladesh.

Most of them are feeling the pinch to get hold of air tickets, the fares of which have doubled recently.

A Saudi-bound expatriate Morshedul Islam who returned to Bangladesh last yeat year amid the Covid-19 pandemic said: “Recently my Riyadh-based employer called me to join the workplace urgently on personal expenses.”

“Now I am in a fix of how I shall manage such a costly ticket which goes around Tk 80,000 to Tk1 lakh.”

Like Morshedul thousands of migrant labour are unable to buy the middle-east-bound air ticket, thus passing an uncertain time.

Besides, the government of Saudi Arabia has made Covid booster dose mandatory for migrant workers entering the country effective from February.

Several airlines that operate flights between Bangladesh and middle-east are Emirates, Saudia, Gulf Air, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Oman Air and the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

As per the Saturday rate of Saudia airlines, its lowest ticket is now priced at Tk 1,07,000 on Dhaka-Riyadh one-way flight.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines ticket fare goes around Tk 90,000 in the same route while Sri Lankan Airlines Tk 99,700.

General sales agents (GSA) of international airlines in Bangladesh say most middle-east bound flight tickets are already sold out till February 22; now Business class tickets are available.

Mohammad Salahuddin, General Manager (Marketing) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told The Business Post when demand for tickets rises price goes up. This tendency is globally recognised.

Ejaz Kadry, sales and traffic officer (Intl) of Turkish Airlines maintained that as around 40 per cent of tickets are sold out, automatifcally ticket prices will shoot up.

The Kuwait Airways attributes the airfare hike to the increased ground service charges at Hazrat Shahjala International Airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Besides, flights from manpower-hiring countries return without passengers and the airlines are trying to recover the loss incurred due to Covid-19, they said.

Airlines say Bangladesh-based travel agencies or syndicates are responsible for the ticket fare hike.

But the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) president Monsur Ahmed Kalam denied the allegation.

He said travel agencies have no hands in this regard.