Airlines pricing out Umrah during Ramadan

Airfare to Saudi Arabia has shot up by more than 50 percent, making Umrah during Ramadan unaffordable for many.

The airfare on the Madina and Jeddah routes is Tk 1.13 lakh to Tk 1.20 lakh, up from Tk 70,000-75,000 previously, according to leaders of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB).

Although Umrah can be performed throughout the year, people prefer to perform the ritual during the holy month of Ramadan. As a result, the demand for air tickets on the routes soared.

Different airlines sell bulk tickets in advance to their favoured travel agencies without the names of passengers, said ATAB President Abdus Salam Aref. Sometimes, as much as 80 percent of the tickets are sold in this manner.

The travel agencies later sell those tickets at higher prices.

As the travel agencies invest huge amounts of money for around three to four months, they try to recoup the investment by increasing the airfare, Aref said.

"The airlines should change their policy on this -- tickets should be sold directly in the name of particular passengers. What is happening here is tantamount to black market or syndicate," he added.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudia, the two national flag carriers of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, operate direct flights between the two countries.

Apart from the two, as many as 11 airlines carry passengers from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia with stopovers in their respective hub countries. The fares on these airlines were relatively low due to the long transit and journey time. However, their fares have also increased by 1.5-2 times.

Emirates, Fly Dubai, Gulf Air, Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Air India, Vistara Airlines, Oman Air and Salam Air currently carry Umrah passengers from Bangladesh.

Different airlines are taking the opportunity to increase airfare due to the growing number of Umrah passengers during Ramadan, said M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh.

"Our local airline should increase their flights to Saudi Arabia to tackle this issue," said Kazi Wahidul Alam, a former member of the board of directors of Biman and a prominent aviation expert.

Airlines got engaged in syndicate business like rice and potato traders to exploit the high demand for Umrah tickets during Ramadan, said ATM Nazrul Islam, an aviation expert.

"The government should look into the matter and take measures in this regard," he added.

But for people like Monirul Hasan, a private service holder, his dream of performing Umrah during Ramadan will remain unfulfilled until then.