IATA vs Non-IATA Travel Agency: Differences in Bangladesh

An IATA travel agency is accredited by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It has its own IATA code, issues tickets for participating airlines itself, and pays them through IATA's Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP). A non-IATA agency is still a licensed travel agency in Bangladesh, but it books and issues tickets through an IATA consolidator or a B2B portal. Both need the government's travel agency registration; IATA accreditation is optional.

Key points

• Most Bangladeshi agencies are non-IATA. In April 2025 Prothom Alo reported 970 IATA-recognised agencies out of 5,746 licensed agencies.
• IATA's fee table lists CHF 250 to join at the GoLite level or CHF 1,500 at GoStandard. On top of that comes CHF 200 to CHF 500 a year, depending on BSP sales.
• GoStandard needs a financial guarantee. IATA does not publish the amount; Prothom Alo reported Tk 30 lakh in 2025. GoLite pays through IATA EasyPay, a prepaid wallet, with no minimum guarantee.
• Accreditation does not open every airline. Prothom Alo reported that only about 350 of the 970 could sell major carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Saudia.
• Non-IATA agents issue through consolidators or B2B portals. A January 2026 ordinance banned agent-to-agent sales, but it has ceased to have effect; a new law may return to the idea.

What is an IATA-accredited travel agency?

An IATA-accredited travel agency is one that IATA has approved to sell tickets for its member airlines under a single agreement, using its own IATA code.

IATA's accreditation brochure lists what the agency gets:

• a unique IATA code recognised by member airlines
• one Passenger Sales Agency Agreement (PSAA) instead of a contract with each airline
• access to BSP

IATA offers several accreditation levels:

• GoLite: pay-as-you-go ticketing through IATA EasyPay, with "no minimum financial guarantee required to issue air tickets"
• GoStandard: all standard payment methods, backed by financial security
• GoGlobal: for agencies with locations in several countries

IATA's checklist for Bangladesh covers GoLite, GoStandard and GoGlobal.

What is BSP and how do IATA agents pay airlines?

BSP is IATA's system for sales reporting and settlement. Each agent sends one sales report and one payment, and BSP pays every airline. IATA says BSP has more than 400 participating airlines and over 59,000 accredited agents.

In practice, an IATA agent works like this:

1. It issues a ticket in its GDS (Global Distribution System) on a BSP airline.
2. The sale goes into the BSP report.
3. The agent pays on the dates in the BSP calendar for its market, whether or not the customer has paid.

When an airline finds a fare or rule breach, it raises an Agency Debit Memo (ADM) in BSPlink, BSP's online system. The agent pays it in the BSP billing or disputes it. Our ADM guide explains the process.

What is a non-IATA travel agency?

A non-IATA travel agency is a registered agency without its own IATA accreditation. It sells the same tickets to travellers, but it gets them from an IATA agency (a consolidator) or a B2B portal.

It still needs a trade licence and the ministry's registration certificate. Our guide on how to start a travel agency in Bangladesh covers those steps and fees.

Outside the big cities, non-IATA is the norm. Prothom Alo reported that IATA-accredited agencies were based only in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Feni, Noakhali and Rajshahi. Agencies elsewhere relied on agent-to-agent (B2B) purchases.

IATA vs non-IATA: side-by-side

What does IATA accreditation require in Bangladesh, and what does it cost?

You need a registered business, its legal and tax documents, and IATA's fees, and Bangladeshi law already requires the ministry registration. GoStandard also needs financial statements and a financial guarantee.

Documents. IATA's Bangladesh checklist lists the requirements for each level. They include:

• proof of your legal business entity and a certificate of company registration
• bank account details
• English translations of documents in Bangla
• for GoStandard and GoGlobal, financial statements and a financial guarantee

Check the full checklist for your type of business before you apply.

Guarantee. IATA's Bangladesh checklist lists a financial guarantee for GoStandard but does not publish the amount. Ask IATA for the level that would apply to you.

Prothom Alo reported in April 2025 that:

• qualified agencies submit a Tk 30 lakh bank guarantee; another passage in the same article gives Tk 40 lakh as the minimum security
• an agency must have operated for at least six months before applying

Treat these figures as reported, not official, and confirm them with IATA's Bangladesh office.

Fees. IATA's fee table, valid from February 2025, applies to the agency's main entity:

Airline appointments. Accreditation gives you the IATA agreement, but each airline still decides whether you may issue its tickets. Some airlines sit outside BSP altogether. Prothom Alo reported that Air Arabia, IndiGo, SalamAir and Jazeera Airways do not sell tickets under IATA. An IATA agency still needs separate access to them.

What are the pros and cons of each?

Choose IATA for control and direct airline relationships. Choose non-IATA for low cost and quick access to many airlines.

IATA accreditation

Pros

• Your own IATA code and a direct relationship with airlines
• No middleman on BSP airlines
• You control issuing, void, refund and reissue
• Airline commissions and incentives come to you, where airlines pay them

Cons

• Fees and a guarantee tie up capital
• BSP remittance is due on fixed dates, even if your customer pays late
• ADMs land on you directly
• You still need GDS contracts, airline appointments and separate access to non-BSP airlines

Non-IATA

Pros

• Low entry cost
• One portal can cover GDS, NDC (New Distribution Capability) and direct-airline fares
• A prepaid wallet limits your credit risk
• You can sell from any district

Cons

• You depend on your supplier's prices, service and financial health
• Your margin is your markup or service charge
• Your wallet money sits with the supplier
• Future rules on agent-to-agent sales could change your model

Our checklist for choosing a B2B portal shows how to protect your wallet balance.

How do non-IATA agents issue tickets?

They issue through a consolidator or a B2B portal.

With a consolidator, you send the booking or Passenger Name Record (PNR) by phone or message. The consolidator prices and issues it, and you pay from a deposit or credit line.

With a B2B portal, you do it yourself:

1. Search fares from several GDSs and airlines in one place.
2. Compare booking classes, baggage, and refund and change rules.
3. Hold the booking and note the ticketing time limit.
4. Collect payment from your customer.
5. Issue from your prepaid wallet and send the e-ticket.
6. Request void, refund or reissue from the same screen.

To compare GDS and NDC fares, see our NDC vs GDS guide.

Can agencies still buy tickets from other agencies after the 2026 ordinance?

As far as we can find, yes. The January 2026 ordinance amending the travel agency law said agencies may not buy or sell tickets from another agency. The official Laws of Bangladesh website notes that the ordinance has ceased to have effect under Article 93(2) of the Constitution. A new bill may bring it back. Our start-up guide, linked above, summarises what the ordinance said and what happened to it.

The idea is not new. In 2025 Prothom Alo reported a draft ministry circular that would have:

• banned agent-to-agent sales
• made IATA accreditation compulsory for every agency

Agencies opposed it. A future bill could revisit either idea, so check the current rules with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. This is not legal advice.

When should a non-IATA agency apply for IATA?

Apply when your sales on BSP airlines are steady enough that the guarantee, fees and remittance work cost less than the margin you would gain. Watch for these signs:

• regular volume on airlines that are likely to appoint you
• capital for a guarantee that still leaves enough working capital
• staff who can handle BSP reconciliation and ADMs

Many IATA agencies keep a B2B portal anyway, for fares they cannot issue themselves.

How Ticket Lagbe fits

Ticket Lagbe is a B2B travel platform for IATA and non-IATA agencies in Bangladesh. It holds IATA code 42343755.

• Non-IATA agencies register, get approved, fund a BDT wallet and issue on Ticket Lagbe's connections:
  • Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus
  • NDC content from airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Saudia
  • direct connections to US-Bangla Airlines, Novo Air, Air Astra, IndiGo, Air Arabia and Jazeera Airways
• IATA agencies can use the same kind of account for fares they cannot issue themselves.
• Every fare shows its time limit, fare rules and baggage. Refunds, reissues and voids are requested from the portal.
• Partial payment is available on eligible refundable fares.

Questions? Contact our team.

Register your agency on Ticket Lagbe