No scope to reduce Hajj airfare: Biman MD

Airfare for Hajj flights cannot be reduced any further this year, said Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim.

"The airfare for hajj pilgrims this year has been fixed at Tk1.97 lakh taking into account the increased exchange rate of dollar, price hike of jet fuel, and increase in taxes after consulting with respective ministries, hajj agencies and experts," he said at a press brief yesterday.

"We have reduced the fair as much as possible," added the national carrier managing director. 

Last year, airfare for hajj was fixed at Tk1.40 lakh.                         

Shafiul mentioned that the hajj package consists of 16 types of expenses, not just the airfare. 

"In no way is the airfare set higher than the market price," he said, adding that Tk2.10 lakh was proposed initially, but it was further reduced on everyone's recommendation.

The first hajj flight is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Saudi Arabia on 21 May and the return hajj flights will begin on 2 August, according to the Biman authority. 

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate 159 pre-hajj flights and 152 post-hajj flights with its Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircrafts.
Hajj package has become costlier by around Tk1.5 lakh compared to the previous year. This year the cost of the pilgrimage, which is managed by private agencies, is around Tk6.73 lakh, excluding qurbani. 

Despite massive interest among people, the registration process is at a slow pace from aspirant pilgrims due to the high cost against the country's quota of 1.27 lakh in 2023.

Till Sunday, 1.11 lakh possible pilgrims completed the registration even after the deadline was extended four times as last deadline is 21 March. 

According to hajj agencies and travel agents, the increase in cost is due to higher expenses on both the Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia sides.

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) has mainly blamed Biman Bangladesh Airlines for the high airfare that has driven up the total cost of the hajj package.    

However, Biman MD said, "We have been working on the Hajj flight management for 3 months. The fair has been set by the national executive committee. The fare increased due to global situations, on which we have no control."  

The top Biman official also shared that the national carrier is working on introducing flights in a number of routes including Chennai, Bangaluroo and New York.