Biman launches special 'worker fare' for new migrants

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has introduced a special 'worker fare' for Bangladeshi expatriates travelling to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia in an effort to curb rising airfares and reduce migration costs.

"We have taken this initiative in line with the government's efforts to lower migration costs," Biman Managing Director and CEO Dr Md Shafiqur Rahman told BSS on Tuesday.

The national flag carrier approved the new fare scheme on Monday, which came into effect on Tuesday, specifically for passengers travelling on new employment visas, he said.

Biman's Director of Marketing and Sales, Ashraful Alam, said the special fare applies exclusively to one-way tickets for newly employed workers travelling to various destinations in Saudi Arabia and Kuala Lumpur. The offer will remain valid until June 30.

Under the new fare structure, base fares, excluding taxes, have been set at USD 360 for flights on the Dhaka-Jeddah, Dhaka-Medina, and Dhaka-Riyadh routes, and USD 150 for the Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur route.

According to Biman sources, regular base fares for Saudi Arabia-bound flights currently range between USD 430 and USD 480, while base fare for Kuala Lumpur is USD 360.