Flight Expert flies away; users in panic
Flight Expert, a prominent Dhaka-based online travel agency, has abruptly gone dark, prompting panic among customers and widespread allegations of fraud. Since August 2, social media platforms have been flooded with complaints from individuals and businesses claiming they were scammed by the company, which specialised in flight ticket bookings.
Numerous users allege that key figures behind Flight Expert have fled the country, absconding with large sums of money and leaving behind massive unpaid debts.
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"We've been receiving a barrage of complaints from travel agents since yesterday afternoon," said Abdus Salam Aref, president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB). "Several of our members have been contacted by recruiting agencies saying they can no longer reach Flight Expert. The company appears to have gone completely silent. I've also heard that three individuals connected to the case are currently in police custody."
Aref confirmed that Flight Expert had been operating with a bank guarantee of BDT 50 crore (approximately $4.2 million), although the specific bank involved has yet to be identified. He said the company failed to make a scheduled payment on July 31, 2025.
"Flight Expert dealt heavily in both B2C and B2B ticketing," he said. "This means not only consumers who paid in advance are now at risk, but also third-party agencies that provided them with funds to secure bookings."
According to Aref, the company had also been purchasing tickets from other agencies and reselling them through platforms such as Haji Air, Suma Travel, and Fly Far. "Several affected agencies are drafting formal complaints, which we plan to submit to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism by tomorrow," he said.
Flight Expert was operating legally under Bangladesh's existing licensing system, Aref confirmed, but he warned that the proliferation of online travel agencies (OTAs) has severely disrupted the industry.
"There are around 5,500 travel agencies in Bangladesh. The government must enhance oversight of licensing practices," he said. "OTAs have fuelled unsustainable price wars by offering tickets below market rates. How do they afford to do that? The business model is simple: boost sales volume rapidly, then disappear. That's the strategy."
Aref also criticised airlines for failing to regulate the behaviour of OTAs. "Sometimes they even encourage this unhealthy competition," he said. "There is already a draft guideline for OTAs. Once finalised, I believe it will bring much-needed discipline to the sector."
Md. Mozammal Haque, owner of Tisha Air Travels, said the fallout has already impacted thousands of businesses. "More than 5,000 agencies used to purchase tickets through Flight Expert," he said. "I bought tickets for flights scheduled on August 10 and 11. With all the cancellations happening, I'm worried mine will be next."
A customer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Daily Star: "After seeing the posts online, I tried to contact people I knew at Flight Expert. Even the staff seem clueless. I'm traumatised by what's happened."
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