Dhaka/Islamabad — Bangladesh and Pakistan on Thursday resumed direct air links after a 14-year break, a move expected to ease travel and support trade and tourism between the two South Asian countries. The first non-stop service landed in Karachi late Thursday, marking the formal restart of Bangladesh Pakistan direct flights.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, the arriving aircraft received a traditional water salute at Karachi Airport, where officials welcomed passengers and crew. The service reconnects Dhaka and Karachi without transits that previously added time and cost for travelers.
Flight operations and schedule
Biman Bangladesh Airlines said the Dhaka–Karachi–Dhaka route launched with flight BG-341, which departed Dhaka at 8:00 pm local time. The non-stop flights will operate twice weekly—Thursdays and Saturdays—under the winter schedule, using a 162-seat Boeing 737 on the roughly 1,471-mile route, with a flight time of about three hours.
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The reopening ceremony in Dhaka was addressed by Sheikh Bashir Uddin, adviser at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, and 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.
Background to the resumption
Direct flights were suspended in 2012 on security grounds during the previous administration in Bangladesh. Ties have warmed since political changes in August 2024, followed by high-level engagements, including a visit to Dhaka by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar later that year. The two sides finalized the decision to restore air connectivity after months of talks.
Bangladesh and Pakistan established diplomatic relations after Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. In recent months, Bangladesh lifted visa requirements for Pakistani officials, while Pakistan announced scholarships and training programs for Bangladeshi students and civil servants.
Demand and outlook
Biman said all seats on the inaugural flight were sold, with more than 80 percent of seats booked for the second service. Airline officials said the restored route is expected to improve people-to-people contacts and open opportunities across business, trade, and tourism.
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