Airline GSA staffs warn of massive job losses if law amended
Officials and employees of various airline General Sales Agents (GSAs) today urged the government to retain the existing GSA appointment law, warning that its repeal could severely impact Bangladesh’s aviation industry and thousands of livelihoods.
They cautioned that abolishing the law would lead to massive job losses, encourage money laundering through hundi, and create serious disruptions in the aviation market.
Speaking at a human chain held in front of the National Press Club today, participants said that nearly 50,000 people are directly or indirectly employed through the GSAs of foreign airlines operating in Bangladesh.
Nabila, an official of Oman Air's GSA Air Galaxy, read out a written statement at the human chain. Munir, an official of Air France's GSA Bengal Airlift and Rafiqul Islam, an official of Saudia Airlines' GSA United Link, also spoke.
They staged the human chain as the interim government has taken the initiative to amend the 2017 Civil Aviation Act by abolishing the provision that made the appointment of GSAs mandatory for foreign airlines operating in Bangladesh.
They warned that repealing the GSA appointment law to favor foreign airlines would deprive thousands of families of their livelihoods and weaken the government’s ability to ensure accountability and transparency in the sector.
The GSA employees urged the authorities to prioritize national employment and financial accountability while protecting the interests of both passengers and local aviation workers.
The speakers noted that GSAs serve as a vital link between foreign airlines and local passengers, facilitating communication, service delivery, and customer grievance redress. Without GSAs, they warned, passenger harassment and service irregularities could rise sharply.
They further pointed out that repealing the GSA law would result in an annual revenue loss of over Tk 100 crore to the national exchequer. Citing past examples, they recalled that when airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Thai Airways, and Air India operated without GSAs in Bangladesh, the market suffered from mismanagement, corruption, and long ticket queues—particularly affecting expatriate Bangladeshis.
The introduction of mandatory GSAs, they said, brought significant improvements, reducing ticket syndication and restoring order to the system.
“GSAs are not merely intermediaries; they are the operational backbone that ensures fair business practices and protects passengers’ interests,” said one of the participants.
“Abolishing this structure will only benefit foreign entities at the expense of local jobs and government oversight,” they observed.
Following the demonstration, representatives submitted memorandums to the Chief Adviser, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Ministry of Commerce, calling for the continuation of the GSA appointment law in the greater interest of national employment, economic integrity, and aviation sector stability.
Since the passing of the 2017 Civil Aviation Act, GSA companies in Bangladesh have played a crucial role in expanding the country’s aviation connectivity. Their efforts have encouraged many new airlines to commence operations in Bangladesh and persuaded existing carriers to increase flight frequencies to Dhaka and Chattogram, significantly boosting the sector’s growth and competitiveness.