Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to restart direct flights after more than ten years, as ties between the two countries improve, Biman Bangladesh Airlines announced on Thursday.
The national carrier plans to launch the first Dhaka–Karachi flight on January 29, with services operating twice weekly, marking the first regular flights on this route since 2012, AFP reported.
“We are relaunching the Dhaka–Karachi route with two weekly flights,” airline manager Bosra Islam told AFP.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines said the move will “significantly enhance connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan, benefiting business travel, tourism, and family visits.”
Currently, travelers must take connecting flights through Gulf hubs like Dubai or Doha.
Bangladesh and Pakistan were once a single nation, separated after the 1971 war, and are geographically divided by more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) of Indian territory.
Relations between Bangladesh and India cooled after Sheikh Hasina’s political changes, while ties with Pakistan have warmed.
Trade and cultural links have strengthened in recent years, with cargo ships resuming between Karachi and Chittagong in November 2024, Pakistani singers performing in Dhaka, and Bangladeshi patients traveling to Pakistan for medical care.
Pakistan has granted Biman Bangladesh Airlines permission to operate direct flights, initially for a three-month trial period through March 30, 2026, following formal clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority.
