Passengers lambast Biman, Dhaka airport for service issues

Flight delays, ticket unavailability despite purported empty seats, and luggage handling issues are among the service complaints voiced by air passengers criticising Biman Bangladesh Airlines during a public hearing, organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), at Dhaka airport today (25 June).

Passengers, particularly recently returned migrant workers, voiced their frustration over the harassment they experienced during luggage screening by customs officers at the airport.

Stakeholders at the hearing also raised concerns about non-functional e-gates, traffic congestion near the airport, and other related issues.

"Although Biman's services have improved substantially, ticket availability remains a concern," said MD Anwar, a Saudi migrant who returned home from Dammam on 8 June. 

"When attempting to purchase a ticket from a travel agency in Dammam, I was initially told they were sold out. However, I eventually secured a ticket and noticed at least 10 seats were vacant on the plane," he recounted. 

Shakil Miraz, general manager (public relations) of Biman, responded by saying, "According to IATA regulations, having some empty seats on flights is normal. Our Boeing 737 flights from Dammam, which accommodate 419 passengers, often have around 10 empty seats."

Highlighting Biman's efforts to modernise its reservation system, Miraz urged travellers, "Please purchase tickets through our app or website to avoid issues with agencies."

Md Faisal, another migrant employed in Qatar, expressed appreciation for Biman's competitive airfares but reported a two-hour flight delay during his recent trip. He also mentioned experiencing inconvenience during customs screening at Dhaka airport.

Addressing broader concerns, a journalist noted an incident involving Emirates Airlines where a colleague arriving from the USA faced a three-hour delay in receiving luggage on 20 June this year. He said luggage belts were malfunctioning at Dhaka airport upon their arrival.

In response, Group Captain Kamrul Islam, executive director of Dhaka Airport, said, "We will investigate the matter once we have detailed information. Currently, 85% of luggage is processed within one hour."

According to Dhaka Airport authorities, around 9,827 complaints have been received from passengers over the past year, mostly through the call centre (helpline:13600) of the airport. However, 9815 complaints (99.88%) have been resolved quickly. 

"Most issues were resolved verbally through the helpline as passengers lacked proper information. When they contacted us, we provided them with the correct procedures," said the airport's Executive Director Kamrul Islam.

Approximately 37,000 international and domestic passengers use Dhaka airport daily, with around 7,000 being domestic travellers. For this large number of passengers, reaching the airport on time is often a major concern due to Dhaka's traffic congestion.

Addressing the traffic issues, a representative of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) said, "Three major construction projects are currently underway in and around the airport, contributing to the gridlocks. Additionally, one floor of the multi-storey car parking facility is currently unused. Once these issues are resolved, traffic flow will return to normal."

Passengers also complained about the high transportation costs when travelling to and from the airport compared to other city routes. Additionally, many passengers without access to personal vehicles struggle to carry their baggage before or after reaching the airport.

To address these issues, a shuttle bus service will be launched today from airport canopy-2.

"Initially, two buses will be operated by the BRTC. The number of buses will gradually increase to accommodate the passenger rush," Kamrul Islam told TBS.

Meanwhile, allegations of luggage being left behind by foreign airlines, particularly budget carriers, have significantly decreased in recent months. In the past week alone, passengers received 99.56% of their luggage. 

"We have taken strict measures against foreign airlines who fail to carry luggage of passengers," said Kamrul Islam.

Around 30 companies are involved at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to facilitate seamless passenger services.

CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman acknowledged service improvements but acknowledged the increasing demands and pledged continued enhancement.

He said "The airport's capacity is designed for eight million passengers, yet we managed 13 million last year, hence these issues. After the inauguration of the 3rd Terminal, the situation will improve."

"The passenger and cargo handling capacity of Dhaka airport will double following the full operation of the third terminal by late this year," he said.

Regarding the effectiveness of the airport's 26 e-gates, the CAAB chairman expressed disappointment, saying, "I expected the installed e-gates to be fully operational, but they are not due to data input issues by the system developers."

"Additionally, the majority of our passports are still machine-readable passports (MRP), whereas only e-passports can be utilised at e-gates. Once more passengers acquire e-passports, we anticipate wider usage of e-gates," he added.

E-gates are often used to speed up the passport control process, particularly for passengers who are eligible for fast-track services or have biometric passports.