Air ticket market back under syndicate control, ATAB claims

The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) has claimed that syndicates have once again taken control of the country's air ticket market, pushing prices up and limiting fair access for travellers.

In a press release issued today (12 July), ATAB said between December and February, tickets for popular Middle Eastern routes – including Dhaka to Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah, and Dammam – were sold at around Tk100,000 under the guise of "group tickets". 

Meanwhile, prices in official booking systems soared as high as Tk170,000 to Tk180,000.

To curb the escalating fares and bring order to the sector, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism issued a directive on 11 February. 

It required that all bookings include the passenger's name, passport number, and a copy of the passport, a move that initially helped reduce prices.

However, ATAB alleges that budget airlines operating in the Middle East, along with powerful syndicate groups, have resumed manipulative practices. 

According to the association, some airlines are pre-booking tickets using fake names and then changing the passenger details just before departure, reselling the tickets at inflated rates.

ATAB also claims that airlines, Global Sales Agents (GSAs), and syndicate networks are violating the government directive by continuing to make bulk "group bookings" without verified passenger information. 

This, they say, creates artificial seat shortages and drives prices higher.

"These unethical practices are seriously harming travellers, travel agencies, and the aviation sector as a whole," the statement said.

The association warned that without proper enforcement, ticket prices are becoming unaffordable for migrant workers and general passengers, and are likely to rise even further.

ATAB further alleged that some airlines are reserving tickets for Bangladeshi passengers through foreign agencies, contributing to an artificial scarcity. 

These tickets, it claims, are later sold through local, syndicate-controlled agencies and brokers, with the profits transferred abroad through illegal hundi channels.

Additionally, ATAB pointed to a decrease in the number of available flights as another reason behind the ongoing fare hikes.

The association blamed the situation on the authorities' failure to enforce government directives and take action against violators, which has allowed the syndicates to tighten their grip on the market.

ATAB has urged the Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser and the Chief Adviser to intervene immediately to restore order and protect consumer interests.