Home ›› 27 Apr 2022 ›› Front
Amid the mad dash to return home for the Eid holidays, the demand for plane tickets has skyrocketed to the point where almost all available seats have been sold out.
The sudden surge in demand has caused ticket prices to climb two to three times against the normal rates, according to ticket booking agents.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, and Novoair have all sold around 80-90 per cent of tickets for April 28 till May 1 ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
As such, the three airlines have raised fares by 80-90 per cent compared to last month, they added.
Kamrul Islam, general manager of US-Bangla Airlines, said airlines were allowed to raise ticket prices in accordance with international aviation regulations in case of a surge in demand.
Besides, aircraft fuel prices have risen by 117 per cent in the last one and a half years, also causing hikes in ticket prices, he added.
This year, government employees will have a nine-day Eid break from April 29 to May 7, while private employees will have five to six days off.
According to sources, the long holidays have pushed individuals to go by air to vacation in tourist destinations with their loved ones.
Besides, holidaymakers increasingly prefer flying to escape the inconveniences of a long road or rail journey. All the three airlines in the country have decided to increase domestic flights to accommodate the rush of passengers. US Bangla operates around 35 flights every day to seven domestic destinations from Dhaka. Novoair operates 26 to 28 flights on seven domestic destinations from Dhaka.
