Travel by Biman, GMG will now cost more

_A Monitor Report Dhaka : Travel by Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited and private GMG Airlines will now cost more . The two carriers decided to raise their fares on a number of local and international routes by US$5 to US$100. Officials of the airliners said the ticket prices were increased as they raised fuel surcharge following recent hike in jet fuel price on the international market. 'Only the fuel surcharge of the ticket price was increased, which led to higher airfares with effect from January 20,' Mohammad Shah Newaz, Director of Marketing and Sales of the airline told a local daily. He said they were forced to increase the fuel surcharge to offset losses incurred as a result of fuel price hike on the global market. 'We haven't changed any of our fares, only the YR [Fuel Surcharge] has been increa-sed,' GMG Air-lines Marketing and Communi-cation head Asif Ahmed told the same daily. He said GMG Airlines raised fuel surcharge by US$5 to US$55 on international routes with effect from January 20. Earlier in 2008, local airlines had increased airfares because of a record hike in oil prices on the international market but they later decreased the fares as the oil prices slumped.