Dhaka–Karachi direct flights resume after 14-year gap

A non-stop flight from Dhaka landed in Karachi on Thursday evening, marking the resumption of direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan after a break of 14 years.

According to the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA), the Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft, operating flight BG-341, touched down at Jinnah International Airport to a ceremonial water salute, underscoring the significance of the occasion.

In a statement, the PAA described the arrival as the first direct flight from Dhaka to Karachi since 2010, calling it the start of a “new chapter” in relations between the two South Asian nations. A formal reception was held at the airport to welcome the aircraft.

The service comes at a time of improving relations between Islamabad and Dhaka, following political changes in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office amid large-scale student-led protests on 5 August 2024.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will initially operate the Dhaka–Karachi route twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays. Sources said the airline has been granted permission to run the service until 30 March as a trial period, after which a decision on long-term operations will be taken.

Under the published schedule, flights will depart Dhaka at 8 pm local time and arrive in Karachi at 11.00 pm. The return service will leave Karachi at midnight, reaching Dhaka at 4.20 am.

Officials said discussions on restoring direct flights have been ongoing since last year, driven by efforts to revive trade, people-to-people contact and broader cooperation after years of strained ties. Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in 1971, and bilateral relations have often been sensitive.

The proposal to restart direct air services was first publicly announced in August last year during a visit to Dhaka by Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, the first such high-level visit from Pakistan in more than a decade.

The relaunch follows formal clearance from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, which has approved Biman Bangladesh Airlines to operate on the route and to use designated air corridors within Pakistani airspace.

With PTI inputs