Flight Expert owners flee, travel agencies in uncertainty

The managing director of Flight Expert — once a leading online flight and travel booking platform in Bangladesh — has reportedly gone missing, fueling widespread speculation that he may have fled with a significant amount of customer funds.

The company’s official website remains inaccessible, and its customer service phone lines are disconnected till Saturday night, deepening fears of a massive financial scam.

The CEO of Flight Expert Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayeem, along with his father MA Rashid Shah Shamrat, the Chairman of its parent company Makkah Group, has left the country for Canada, leaving different travel agencies and individuals in utter disarray, confirmed multiple sources.

Panic has gripped thousands of customers who booked flights, tours, visas and Hajj packages through the platform, many of whom are now unable to access their tickets or receive refunds.

The owner of an agency called Union Travels said in tears, "It's all over, brother. My brother doesn't have 25-30 lakh taka. I'm all over."

He said that all his tickets were bought through Flight Expert. However, he later heard that they were not direct tickets from Flight Expert, but through two other agencies.

Multiple sources said that Flight Expert used to collect tickets through two intermediary agencies instead of directly from the airline companies. Many have also alleged that now those two agencies are refunding the tickets they bought and withdrawing money.

Since Sunday afternoon, dozens of customers gathered at Motijheel Police Station to file general diaries and demand an immediate investigation.

Mejbah Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Motijheel Police Station, confirmed the rising unrest saying that numerous individuals came forward alleging that the managing director and senior officials of Flight Expert have fled.

“A police team has been sent to the company’s office to conduct an investigation. According to preliminary information from remaining staff, the managing director has not been seen at the office for some time. The website is down and operations seem to have ceased. The full situation is still unclear—we are in the process of gathering evidence and statements,” he said.

The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) leaders have said that many of their members have been contacting them and sharing that the owners of Flight Expert have fled the country.

“Many of our members have been complaining that Flight Expert owners have left the country. Travel agents deposited a good amount of money to them for air tickets and other related services. If they really have cheated, this would be a big scam,” ATAB President Abdus Salam Aref said.

He said they repeatedly requested the government to form a guideline for online travel agency business. After arranging a press conference in last October, they submitted a memorandum to the ministry as well.

“Earlier online travel agencies like Laltrip, Let’s Fly and Ticket24.com vanished deceiving their customers. That’s why we asked the government to introduce regulations in the business but no one paid heed to us. Had the government listened to us, we wouldn't see this day,” the ATAB president added.

Flight Expert reportedly owes customers, B2B agents and several banks across the country crores of taka. The company also owes substantial sums to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for services and benefits—funds that are now tied up due to alleged embezzlement by the platform’s management.

Despite repeated attempts, Flight Expert CEO Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayeem couldn’t be reached for a comment.

However, Salman Bin Rashid wrote in an internal WhatsApp group of their office, that Saeed, Hossain and Shakib betrayed him. They planned very carefully and put all the blame on him (Salman) in the meeting last Thursday. It was completely planned and Salman was not given any opportunity to defend himself. This morning they withdrew Tk 3 crore or less and kept it for themselves. As a result, the company is now closed.

Salman also said that he has taken leave to protect himself due to the threats and accusations coming towards him. He regretted the situation and said that he had no intention of leaving like this.

Meanwhile, many customers and travel agents are expressing their anger on social media. A lady named Joyita Afrin wrote, “If a trusted company like Flight Expert runs away like this, who else will the common man trust?”

Launched in March 2017, Flight Expert rapidly gained popularity for its user-friendly platform, competitive prices, and attractive discounts on domestic and international flights, hotel bookings, tour packages, and visa services.

With convenient payment options such as instalment plans and mobile financial services, it attracted a large customer base—especially budget-conscious travellers and middle-class families.

For years, the company was among Bangladesh’s top digital travel agencies, supported by aggressive social media campaigns and seasonal promotions.

However, recent months saw ominous signs, including delayed ticket confirmations, unresponsive customer support, and unsuccessful refund attempts.