First-class air travel at govt expense suspended

The government has suspended funding first-class flights for its employees for now as part of the austerity measures taken for combating the ongoing global economic crisis post-Covid-19 pandemic.

A gazette notification, signed by Financial Institutions Division Senior Assistant Secretary Ahmed Kamrul Hasan, was issued in this regard on Wednesday (31 May).

Prior to this, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed a summary in this regard.

The government adopted austerity measures to combat the Covid pandemic, as well as, the global economic crisis.

In fiscal year 2020-21 the government imposed restrictions on travelling abroad on state funding which continued till March this year.

In March 2023 the finance division approved the use of a maximum half of the allocation for this sector in an official notice.

Besides, there are instructions to reduce expenses in training, buying cars, and buying stationery products. According to the finance division sources, about Tk18 thousand crore has been saved as a result of austerity in operating expenses in the current financial year.

It is said that the government's austerity policy will also continue in the next financial year.

There are three categories of travel by air or plane. First Class, Business Class and Economy Class. However, most of the airlines operating in Bangladesh do not have first class services on Airbus. Airlines usually provide business class and economy class services.

In this regard, former member of the board of directors of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Kazi Wahidul Alam told TBS that business class fares are 50% lower on average than first class fares. And economy class fares are lower by five to six times.

That is, if the price of a ticket in economy class is Tk1 lakh, in business class its price can be up to Tk2 to 3 lakh. And in the same Airbus, its price in first class can be Tk4 to 4.5 lakhs or more. As a result, if government employees do not travel in first class, the government will definitely save money, he added.