Staff Reporter :
Thousand of Bangladesh expatriates continue to throng airlines offices in Dhaka and Chattogram amid crisis of air tickets.
A rush of ticket seekers was also seen on Friday as the expatriates crowd there in a desperate bid to return their respective workplaces.
Earlier, they could not fly to their work destinations in Middle Eastern countries due to corona situation.
Allegation raised that air tickets have been gone to black-market sale as some dishonest travel agencies try to cash the ticket crisis.
In light of the experience of the past three days, authorities have arranged for ticket seekers to line up outside the main gate from Friday morning. As a result, they are burning in the sun on the sidewalk, standing in long queue on the road waiting for the ticket.
When visited the Emirates office in Dhaka’s Gulshan, it has been seen that hundreds of people inside the office, in the lobby of the building and on the street. They were waiting for ticket from morning till afternoon.
The situation is similar in the offices of all the airlines that are now operating limited flights in the Middle East. Many of those who have bought return tickets are not getting a return flight before September.
Besides Biman Bangladesh Airlines, three other airlines — Emirates, Qatar and Turkish Airlines — are operating flights to the Middle East from Bangladesh.
A passenger, who will go to Abu Dhabi, said that he came to the country to take a normal holiday before the global epidemic. But due to the closure of the airway and strictness of the Covid-19 test, he could not go to his workplace. “I have heard that the UAE capital Abu Dhabi International Airport has lifted the mandatory ICA travel permit rule for expatriates with residence visas. I want to take this opportunity to return to my work. The money that I brought when I arrived here was spent in the last five months. Now the back is against the all.”
Another ticket seeker said the demand for Abu Dhabi tickets is high. But the number of flight is low. There is no end to his suffering. If the government had introduced special flights, it would have been beneficial for the remittance earners.
Another Dubai bound expatriate, who declined to be named, said that earlier he had bought a ticket to fly to Dubai with Tk 30,000. Now I bought one ticket with Tk 72,000 from black market, because of there is no available ticket.
According to the Home Ministry, about 4.5 lakh workers returned to Bangladesh from mid-February to mid-March before international flights were suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic.
According to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Biman has 4 flights to Abu Dhabi in a week till August 30. The airline has applied for two additional flights.
An official of Biman said that the ticket of the expected day of the passenger must be confirmed. Many are allegedly forced to buy higher-class tickets at higher fares. But the official said there is no scope to harass anyone unnecessarily or to hang anyone’s journey.
Md Mokabbir Hossain, Managing Director & CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines said, the airports of the Middle East have been closed from March. Recently the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has open their airports imposing some conditions as migrant workers must have to registration in a UAE website.
“Now all those who could not go in five months want to go today if they can. As a result, tickets for the two-week flights this month were sold out instantly,” he said.
Besides, one of the other conditions is that the airlines cannot take more than two hundred passengers in one flight. That is why not everyone is going to be given a ticket.
Moreover, those who came to the country with return tickets are being given priority. That’s why newcomers who want to buy tickets are getting angry.
The UAE has not yet approved the slot for operating flights for the next two months.
So, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is not able to book tickets in advance. That is why many people are not getting tickets even in September.
On the other hand, many workers are running out of visas, so they are afraid of losing their jobs if they do not go on time. Both airlines and migrant workers are in crisis.
Thousand of Bangladesh expatriates continue to throng airlines offices in Dhaka and Chattogram amid crisis of air tickets.
A rush of ticket seekers was also seen on Friday as the expatriates crowd there in a desperate bid to return their respective workplaces.
Earlier, they could not fly to their work destinations in Middle Eastern countries due to corona situation.
Allegation raised that air tickets have been gone to black-market sale as some dishonest travel agencies try to cash the ticket crisis.
In light of the experience of the past three days, authorities have arranged for ticket seekers to line up outside the main gate from Friday morning. As a result, they are burning in the sun on the sidewalk, standing in long queue on the road waiting for the ticket.
When visited the Emirates office in Dhaka’s Gulshan, it has been seen that hundreds of people inside the office, in the lobby of the building and on the street. They were waiting for ticket from morning till afternoon.
The situation is similar in the offices of all the airlines that are now operating limited flights in the Middle East. Many of those who have bought return tickets are not getting a return flight before September.
Besides Biman Bangladesh Airlines, three other airlines — Emirates, Qatar and Turkish Airlines — are operating flights to the Middle East from Bangladesh.
A passenger, who will go to Abu Dhabi, said that he came to the country to take a normal holiday before the global epidemic. But due to the closure of the airway and strictness of the Covid-19 test, he could not go to his workplace. “I have heard that the UAE capital Abu Dhabi International Airport has lifted the mandatory ICA travel permit rule for expatriates with residence visas. I want to take this opportunity to return to my work. The money that I brought when I arrived here was spent in the last five months. Now the back is against the all.”
Another ticket seeker said the demand for Abu Dhabi tickets is high. But the number of flight is low. There is no end to his suffering. If the government had introduced special flights, it would have been beneficial for the remittance earners.
Another Dubai bound expatriate, who declined to be named, said that earlier he had bought a ticket to fly to Dubai with Tk 30,000. Now I bought one ticket with Tk 72,000 from black market, because of there is no available ticket.
According to the Home Ministry, about 4.5 lakh workers returned to Bangladesh from mid-February to mid-March before international flights were suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic.
According to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Biman has 4 flights to Abu Dhabi in a week till August 30. The airline has applied for two additional flights.
An official of Biman said that the ticket of the expected day of the passenger must be confirmed. Many are allegedly forced to buy higher-class tickets at higher fares. But the official said there is no scope to harass anyone unnecessarily or to hang anyone’s journey.
Md Mokabbir Hossain, Managing Director & CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines said, the airports of the Middle East have been closed from March. Recently the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has open their airports imposing some conditions as migrant workers must have to registration in a UAE website.
“Now all those who could not go in five months want to go today if they can. As a result, tickets for the two-week flights this month were sold out instantly,” he said.
Besides, one of the other conditions is that the airlines cannot take more than two hundred passengers in one flight. That is why not everyone is going to be given a ticket.
Moreover, those who came to the country with return tickets are being given priority. That’s why newcomers who want to buy tickets are getting angry.
The UAE has not yet approved the slot for operating flights for the next two months.
So, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is not able to book tickets in advance. That is why many people are not getting tickets even in September.
On the other hand, many workers are running out of visas, so they are afraid of losing their jobs if they do not go on time. Both airlines and migrant workers are in crisis.
