Air ticket prices, particularly for flights to various destinations in Saudi Arabia, have fallen by nearly 75 percent following the government's intervention and the implementation of stricter regulations, according to the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), reports BSS.
Between December and February, passengers were forced to pay exorbitant fares for tickets from Dhaka to major Saudi Arabian cities, with prices soaring to as high as Taka 190,000 under group booking schemes.
However, following the government's monitoring efforts, ticket prices have dropped dramatically, with fares now available for as low as Taka 48,000 to 50,000.
Some airlines are even offering tickets for routes such as Dhaka to Dammam and Dhaka to Riyadh at prices as low as Taka 35,000.
In a move to curb the escalating airfares and establish market discipline, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh issued a directive on February 11 last mandating stricter regulations for ticket bookings.
The circular aimed to improve transparency and reduce artificially inflated prices for destinations such as Jeddah, Madinah, Dammam, and Riyadh.
Under the new regulations, air tickets must now be booked with the passenger's name, passport details, and a photocopy of the passport.
As a result, airlines have released previously blocked tickets, increasing seat availability in the computer reservation systems.
