Flight Expert, a well-known online travel agency based in Dhaka, has suddenly gone offline, sparking panic among its users and triggering widespread allegations of fraud. Since August 2, social media has been flooded with complaints from both individual customers and businesses claiming they have been defrauded by the company, which specialized in booking flight tickets.

Many users allege that key personnel behind Flight Expert have fled the country, reportedly absconding with substantial amounts of money and leaving behind significant unpaid debts.

At the time of reporting, the company’s official website showed an error message and was completely inaccessible.

“We have been inundated with complaints from travel agents since yesterday afternoon,” said Abdus Salam Aref, president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB). “Several members have told us that recruiting agencies can no longer contact Flight Expert. The company has gone silent. We understand that three people linked to the case are currently in police custody.”

Aref confirmed that Flight Expert was operating under a bank guarantee of BDT 50 crore (about $4.2 million), though the specific bank involved has not been disclosed. The company reportedly missed a payment deadline on July 31, 2025.

“Flight Expert was heavily involved in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business ticket sales,” Aref explained. “This puts at risk not only customers who paid upfront but also third-party agencies that financed the bookings.”

He added that Flight Expert purchased tickets from other agencies and resold them via platforms like Haji Air, Suma Travel, and Fly Far. “Several agencies affected by this are preparing formal complaints to be submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism soon,” he said.

While Flight Expert was legally licensed under Bangladesh’s current system, Aref warned that the rise of online travel agencies (OTAs) has seriously disrupted the sector.

“There are approximately 5,500 travel agencies in the country. The government needs to strengthen licensing oversight,” he said. “OTAs often engage in unsustainable price wars by selling tickets below market value. Their business model appears to be rapid sales growth followed by sudden disappearance.”

Aref also criticized airlines for not controlling OTA practices. “In some cases, airlines even encourage this unhealthy competition,” he noted. “A draft guideline for OTAs is in the works, and once implemented, it should bring much-needed regulation.”

Md. Mozammal Haque, owner of Tisha Air Travels, highlighted the scale of the impact: “Over 5,000 agencies purchased tickets through Flight Expert. I personally booked tickets for flights on August 10 and 11, and with these cancellations, I’m worried mine might be affected next.”

A customer, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Daily Star, “After seeing the online posts, I tried contacting Flight Expert staff, but they seemed just as clueless. This situation has been very distressing.”