The government of Bangladesh has signalled potential changes to the appointment of exclusive general sales agents (GSAs) for foreign airlines, following a meeting at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on Monday.
The session, chaired by adviser to the ministries of civil aviation and tourism, Sk Bashir Uddin, addressed concerns about alleged irregularities in ticketing practices, including artificial shortages, inflated fares and activities that could enable human trafficking.
Mr Uddin reiterated that the government’s priority was to safeguard the national interest while ensuring fairness and transparency in the aviation sector.
Stakeholders proposed that the appointment of GSAs should be optional, giving airlines flexibility to decide whether to use an agent or manage sales directly, depending on their operational strategies.
The discussions centred on three key areas: enforcing voluntary compliance among all parties, strengthening oversight of airline operations to improve accountability, and considering regulatory reforms to enhance transparency and protect passenger welfare.
The Bangladesh Airline Representatives (BAR) has been tasked with leading coordination efforts with the industry under the ministry’s supervision.
Airline operators present at the meeting welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the government and pledged to cooperate fully with forthcoming initiatives.
Also in attendance were ministry secretary Nasreen Jahan, senior officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and representatives of foreign carriers.
