Staff Reporter:
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat on Sunday said the government is considering further reduction in airfares for Hajj pilgrims as Biman Bangladesh Airlines expands its routes and increases revenue.
Biman’s airfare for Hajj pilgrims which was once around Tk 2 lakh was initially reduced to Tk 1.65 lakh by the interim government, he said, replying to a supplementary question from ruling party lawmaker Helen Zerin Khan in Parliament.
“During the last Hajj, we calculated the airfare at up to Tk 154,000. This year, through dynamic pricing, we have brought it down to Tk 130,000,” he said.
Millat said the government would consider reducing the airfares further in the coming days, de-pending on Biman’s aircraft procurement plans and the full operation of its routes.
The day’s sitting began with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair at 3:30pm
“If our routes are fully operational, our revenue will increase. In that case, we will consider reducing airfares,” he said.
He said Biman’s ticket prices would also be fixed in line with the prevailing practices of other air-lines.
“We will determine our ticket prices keeping pace with how other airlines operate,” the minister said.
Responding to another supplementary question from opposition Jamaat lawmaker Md. Mujibur Rahman (Rajshahi-1) regarding unusually high domestic airfares, particularly when tickets are purchased close to departure, the minister said the actual fare on the Dhaka-Chattogram route is around Tk 6,400, rather than Tk 12,000 as claimed by the lawmaker.
He said passengers also have to pay around 15 percent in taxes and other applicable charges.
Millat said that the government has taken measures to prevent attempts to manipulate or black-market tickets at the last moment before a flight.
He said the government would ensure that passengers could purchase tickets at the officially de-termined prices.
“I can assure you that, Inshallah, you will never have to buy this ticket at a higher price. You will be able to purchase it at the price that is fixed,” he told Parliament.
The minister said the government is working to make air travel more affordable while ensuring that Biman remained financially sustainable.
The minister also said the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against malpractice, artificial shortages and syndicates in the airline ticket market to keep airfares affordable for Bang-ladeshi migrant workers, Millat said.
Replying to another question from Helen Zerin Khan, he explained that airfares worldwide are generally determined through dynamic pricing systems controlled by airlines’ revenue manage-ment systems.
