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.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump says it was "too expensive" for Witkoff and Kushner to go to Islamabad as Iran says they are waiting to ...
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' As...
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 2...
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecu...
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (...
U.S. President Donald Trump says it was "too expensive" for Witkoff and Kushner to go to Islamabad as Iran says they are waiting to see if America is "truly serious about diplomacy". Israel's armed forces has launched a missle attack into Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets into north Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner by Secret Service agents after a 31 year old suspect attempted to storm event.
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 24 April, highlighting the country’s expanding clean transport ambitions.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war suffered a setback on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a planned envoy visit to Pakistan for talks, even as parallel regional diplomacy continued and military tensions escalated in Lebanon.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner by Secret Service agents after a 31 year old suspect attempted to storm event.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday (24 April), the military said.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment