Flight shortage keeps Libya-bound workers waiting

---

A Z M Anas
Inadequate flights and the absence of direct air services have inhibited Bangladeshi workers from flying to Libya, landing thousands with jobs in trouble, travel traders said Friday.
More than 10,000 Bangladeshi labourers, who have managed to secure work permits for the booming energy and construction sectors of the oil-rich African nation, have waited for air tickets for months, hampering their timely departure.
"Manpower exports to Libya have started gaining pace. But airlines' lower capacity and indirect route have forced many passengers to wait for tickets," said AKM Bari, secretary general of Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB).
"Biman and Gulf carriers now operate to Tripoli through connecting flights from Dubai. The number of flights is extremely limited, so is the capacity of aircraft flying on the route," he added.
Libya has started recruiting manpower from Bangladesh since late January after its government announced the decision to hire over 1.0 million Bangladeshis by 2014. The state-run Manpower Bureau said some 3000 Bangladeshi workers found jobs in Libya last month and more are waiting to be recruited in the coming months.
Dhaka and Tripoli signed a deal last year to clear the way for increased manpower recruitment.
The North African country has faced long international isolation, triggered by the US-led sanction. But relations between Washington and Tripoli have improved in recent years, giving a big push for its economic activities after years of isolation.
In the light of announcement, the ATAB leader estimated that the Libyan government is supposed to issue work permits for 200,000 Bangladeshis each year.
"That will require issuing 1000-plus visas per day by the Libyan Embassy in Dhaka," the top leader of 1600-member-strong trade group said.
But he said airlines, which operate Tripoli services via Dubai, are scrambling to meet the surging demand for air travel between Dhaka and the Libyan capital. The Libyan Air's aircraft can carry 90 passengers at best, he added.
Currently state airline Biman flies passengers to Tripoli via Dubai in a strategic partnership with Libyan Air, while Dubai-based Emirates, Qatar Airways and Gulf Air are operating flights from their operating bases in the Middle East region.
Biman has struck a bilateral agreement with Libya Air to fly passengers to Tripoli via the Gulf aviation hub of Dubai.
Its officials said the national airliner aims to start bi-weekly flights to Tripoli next month, eying the potentially robust labour traffic. If launched, Tripoli will become its first route to any African country.
Travel traders say Versatile, a local travel agency, is acting as general sales agent (GSA) of Libya Air and provides confirmation of tickets.
"It's a huge opportunity. All airlines including Biman are now offering special ticket prices to woo travellers destined for Tripoli," Mr Bari said.
IOM (International Organisation for Migration) officials say the Libyan government's plan to hire Bangladeshi workers in a large scale would help Bangladesh reduce its reliance on traditional manpower markets and boost annual remittance flow.
Over the years, Bangladesh has relied on Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore and Malaysia to send its bulk of overseas job-seekers. But Saudi Arabia and Kuwait stopped hiring workers from Bangladesh while Malaysia joined the league last month.
An official at the IOM said the emergence of Libya is a welcome addition at a time when demand for Bangladeshi workers has dived in recession-hit Dubai.