Bangladesh and Pakistan resume direct flights after 14-year hiatus

Bangladesh and Pakistan on Thursday (29 January) resumed direct flight services after 14 years, marking a milestone in the revival of relations between the two Muslim-majority nations.

According to Pakistan’s Airports Authority, the inaugural flight from Dhaka landed at Karachi Airport at around 23:00 local time, receiving a traditional water salute. Passengers and crew were formally welcomed by airport officials.

“A new chapter in Pakistan–Bangladesh friendship! Air connectivity has been restored after 14 years, with a high-level reception ceremony at Karachi Airport,” the authority said in a statement.

The first flight, BG-341, operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, departed Dhaka at 20:00 local time under the winter schedule. Non-stop services on the Dhaka–Karachi–Dhaka route are scheduled to operate every Thursday and Saturday.

Sheikh Bashir Uddin, adviser at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, addressed the reopening ceremony, which was attended by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, and Air Vice Marshal Md. Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Direct flights between the two countries were suspended in 2012 by the Sheikh Hasina administration on security grounds. The August 2024 uprising in Bangladesh, which ousted Hasina, has facilitated a thaw in bilateral relations.

Following high-level discussions and visits by Pakistani officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in August 2025, the resumption of flights was finalised. Dar’s visit was the first high-profile Pakistani trip to Bangladesh in 13 years.

In recent months, Bangladesh lifted visa requirements for Pakistani officials for the first time since 1971, and Pakistan pledged 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students over the next five years, alongside training programmes for 100 civil servants.

• Pakistan signals openness to regional bloc with Bangladesh

Flight operations

The 1,471-mile route between Dhaka and Karachi will be served by a 162-seat Boeing 737, with an approximate flight time of three hours. Previously, passengers had to transit via Middle Eastern hubs, resulting in longer travel times and higher costs.

Bosra Islam, General Manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ public relations department, said all tickets for the inaugural flight were sold, with more than 80% of seats for the second flight already booked.

The airline expressed hope that restored air connectivity will enhance communication, trade, business, and tourism between the two nations.

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