Direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan resume after 14 years

Lahore/Karachi: Direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan was restored on Thursday, January 29, as a flight from Dhaka landed at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, marking the first non-stop service between the two nations in 14 years.

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, BG-341, arrived in the evening and was accorded a traditional water salute upon landing. The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) celebrated the arrival with a high-level reception, describing the event as a new chapter in the friendship between the two countries.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to operate the route twice weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays, with flights departing Dhaka at 8:00 pm local time to arrive in Karachi at 11:00 pm. The return service is scheduled to leave Karachi at midnight and reach Dhaka at 4:20 am. Sources indicate that the airline has been granted a license until March 30 to assess the route's viability before long-term permission is finalized, a move that follows formal approval from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority regarding the use of designated air corridors.

The resumption of flights signals a growing rapport between the two nations following the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Discussions to restart direct flights began last year as part of an effort to boost trade and diplomatic ties, which had been strained since Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. Plans for the route were first announced in August 2025 during a visit by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka, which marked the first high-level engagement between the two countries in over a decade.

(Inputs from PTI)