DHAKA, July 13, 2025 (BSS) - The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh 
(ATAB) has called for urgent government intervention to stop "syndicate" 
control in the air ticket market, which has led to abnormal fare hikes and 
created hardship for migrant workers and general passengers.

Despite government efforts to bring discipline to the sector, ATAB noted that 
an alleged syndicate groups, in collusion with certain airlines and agents, 
are manipulating seat availability to artificially inflate ticket prices on 
high-demand Middle Eastern routes, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and 
Dammam.

Following excessive fare spikes between December and February, when tickets 
sold for nearly Taka 100,000 under group bookings and system prices surged to 
Taka 170,000-180,000, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism issued a 
circular on February 11 requiring passenger names, passport details, and 
copies to book tickets, which helped reduce fares temporarily.

However, ATAB said some airlines, including Egypt Air, Saudia, and certain 
budget carriers, are bypassing the directive by booking tickets under false 
names, later changing them close to departure, enabling syndicates to resell 
tickets at high prices.

"This practice has resulted in the re-emergence of syndicate control over the 
ticket market, creating artificial seat shortages and pushing airfares beyond 
the reach of workers and general passengers," ATAB Secretary General Afsia 
Jannat Saleh said in a statement today.
 
ATAB further claimed that some foreign agencies are receiving block bookings 
from airlines without passenger names and selling these tickets through local 
syndicates, using informal channels to repatriate the money abroad, 
contributing to economic leakage.

The association also pointed out that deliberate flight reductions by some 
airlines have aggravated the situation by limiting seat supply. 

For example, Salam Air, Qatar Airways, Jazeera Airways, and Air Arabia have 
all reduced their weekly flights significantly compared to last year, with 
Salam Air suspending operations entirely.

ATAB stressed that without strict monitoring, full enforcement of government 
directives, and punitive measures, the ticket syndicates will continue to 
manipulate the market, harming migrant workers, travellers, and the aviation 
sector's credibility.

The association urged the government's intervene immediately to protect the 
interests of the country's migrant workers and general passengers.

"We request swift action to restore discipline in the air ticket market to 
ensure fair pricing and protect the interests of the public," ATAB said in 
the statement.