The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) has urged the government and relevant authorities to take immediate steps to curb the abnormal rise in air ticket prices and prevent airlines from selling and hoarding bulk tickets without passenger names, passports, or visas. ATAB President Abdus Salam Aref raised these demands at a press conference organized by ATAB on Sunday at a hotel in the capital.
The event was attended by ATAB General Secretary Afsia Jannat Saleh, former General Secretary Jinnur Ahmed Chowdhury Dipu, Deputy Secretary Towaha Chowdhury, Finance Secretary Md. Shafiq Ullah Nantus, and members of the executive and regional councils of ATAB.
In a written statement, Abdus Salam Aref explained, “Since its establishment in 1976, ATAB has been tirelessly working for the welfare of its members as well as the development of the aviation and tourism sectors in Bangladesh.” He highlighted that ATAB’s objectives include ensuring equal opportunities for all agencies, combating corruption in the sector, and preventing money laundering through effective guidelines, monitoring, and enforcement of laws.
Aref identified group ticket bookings without proper documentation as a major reason behind the skyrocketing airfares. “Some airlines operating in the Middle East block group tickets under the names of a select few agencies months in advance without requiring passenger names, passports, visas, or other travel documents. This creates a syndicate, leading to seat shortages and price hikes of 20% to 50%, sometimes even double or triple, causing immense financial distress to migrant workers, students, and other passengers,” he stated.
To address this issue, ATAB has proposed several measures, including increasing scheduled flights, introducing additional flights, expediting approvals, and adopting an open-sky policy to attract more airlines. They emphasized the need for realistic pricing with fixed minimum and maximum fare limits, as well as a ban on ticket hoarding and sales without necessary documentation.
Aref noted, “Currently, more than 60,000 seats are blocked by airlines. Releasing these seats immediately will alleviate the crisis. Additionally, airlines must keep their distribution policies transparent and allow all agencies equal access to sell tickets.”
The press conference revealed several irregularities in the current ticketing system, such as hidden fares, group ticket hoarding, and inflated prices due to artificial demand created by certain agencies. ATAB demanded that all bookings include passenger names, passport numbers, visas, and manpower clearance to prevent such malpractice.
Highlighting the plight of passengers, Aref said, “Laborers and Umrah pilgrims should receive tickets in a standard format that clearly mentions the fare and agency details. This transparency will protect passengers from paying excessive prices.”
He further criticized the pricing strategies of budget airlines, stating, “Budget carriers, which are supposed to offer low-cost travel, sell tickets at prices comparable to legacy carriers from Bangladesh. There should be clear regulations for budget airlines.”
ATAB also urged the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to enforce the 1984 Civil Aviation Act to regulate the aviation sector effectively. They warned that failure to address these issues promptly would worsen the situation, forcing passengers to pay even higher prices.
The association concluded by calling on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to take swift action, including setting labor fares, revising airline sales and marketing policies, and addressing the rising airfare crisis for the benefit of Bangladeshi passengers, particularly expatriate workers.
