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Manila: The lack of airline seats to the Middle East has jacked up fares and created a black market for reservations as carriers charge more to accommodate departing Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), according to manpower agencies.
The Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (Fame) said in a congressional hearing that fares to the Middle East have gone up from $400 to $650 since December 2007.
Jackson Gan, Fame vice-president, said an average of 1,000 OFWs is stranded in the Philippines daily because they cannot get flights to the Middle East.
Gan added that recruitment firms are forced to upgrade bookings from economy to business class to make sure that they reach their destinations on time because foreign employers are threatening to cancel their employment.
"The shortage of direct flights, which run an average of 1,000 workers daily, have sent recruitment agencies into a frenzy," he said.
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