Kamruzzaman Bablu :
The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) fears visa cancelation of at least 20,000 Umrah and migrant passengers due to ticket crisis of Biman.
If the government does not take immediate initiative, Biman may lose a big revenue this year, according to a HAAB letter sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on Wednesday.
“Enhancing flight frequency along with introducuction of Open Sky Policy can tackle the crisis, created by enhanced number of Umrah passengers”, M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, the newly elected President of HAAB said this in the letter.
Currently, Biman bangladesh Airlines and Suadi Airlines are allowed to operate flights from Dhaka to Jeddah and Dhaka to Riyadh.
“The airliners have raised the ticket fares to take advatage of the situation further worsening the owes of the passengers,” said M Shahadat Hossain Taslim.
Normally, airfare of Dhaka-Jeddah-Dhaka flight is Tk 50,000. But airlines have raised it to Tk80,000 to Tk 90,000 for per passenger. In some cases, it is even going high to Tk 90,000 Tk 95,000 for per person.
“Such a situation also hit many Bnagladeshi migrant workers, who came home on vacation. They could not go to their respective workplaces (in Saudi Arabia) in time due to sudden rise in airfares. So, there is a possibility of cancellation at least 20,000 Bangladeshis visa including migrant workers due to severe ticket crisis,” HAAB also claims it in their letter.
“Biman should halt short distance and not profitable flights for a certain time to handle the situation. As an immediate step, 777 aircraft of Biman should operate to Jeddah and Riyadh instead of Bangkok. Otherwise, Umrah and migrant passengers might take alternative flights to recah Saudia Arabia causing huge revenue losses for Biman Bangladesh Airlines,” Taslim added.
“We wrote to the ministry to take necessary mesaures for resoving this crisis.”
Meanwhile, a team of Religious Reporters Forum (RRF) led by its President Faiz Ullah Bhuiyan and General Secretary Obayedullah Badol greeted the newly elected HAAB President M Shahadat Hossain Taslim on Tuesday.
The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) fears visa cancelation of at least 20,000 Umrah and migrant passengers due to ticket crisis of Biman.
If the government does not take immediate initiative, Biman may lose a big revenue this year, according to a HAAB letter sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on Wednesday.
“Enhancing flight frequency along with introducuction of Open Sky Policy can tackle the crisis, created by enhanced number of Umrah passengers”, M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, the newly elected President of HAAB said this in the letter.
Currently, Biman bangladesh Airlines and Suadi Airlines are allowed to operate flights from Dhaka to Jeddah and Dhaka to Riyadh.
“The airliners have raised the ticket fares to take advatage of the situation further worsening the owes of the passengers,” said M Shahadat Hossain Taslim.
Normally, airfare of Dhaka-Jeddah-Dhaka flight is Tk 50,000. But airlines have raised it to Tk80,000 to Tk 90,000 for per passenger. In some cases, it is even going high to Tk 90,000 Tk 95,000 for per person.
“Such a situation also hit many Bnagladeshi migrant workers, who came home on vacation. They could not go to their respective workplaces (in Saudi Arabia) in time due to sudden rise in airfares. So, there is a possibility of cancellation at least 20,000 Bangladeshis visa including migrant workers due to severe ticket crisis,” HAAB also claims it in their letter.
“Biman should halt short distance and not profitable flights for a certain time to handle the situation. As an immediate step, 777 aircraft of Biman should operate to Jeddah and Riyadh instead of Bangkok. Otherwise, Umrah and migrant passengers might take alternative flights to recah Saudia Arabia causing huge revenue losses for Biman Bangladesh Airlines,” Taslim added.
“We wrote to the ministry to take necessary mesaures for resoving this crisis.”
Meanwhile, a team of Religious Reporters Forum (RRF) led by its President Faiz Ullah Bhuiyan and General Secretary Obayedullah Badol greeted the newly elected HAAB President M Shahadat Hossain Taslim on Tuesday.
