Dhaka (TDI): After a break of more than fourteen years, Pakistan and Bangladesh are set to restore direct air travel, marking a significant step toward improved bilateral connectivity.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines confirmed on Thursday that it will resume flights on the Dhaka–Karachi route, with the first service scheduled to take off on January 29. The route will initially operate twice a week, bringing back regular direct flights between the two countries for the first time since 2012.
The relaunch is expected to make travel easier for business communities, tourists, and families who have long relied on indirect routes. In a statement, the national carrier noted that the move would strengthen people-to-people links and enhance economic and commercial engagement between the two nations.
At present, passengers traveling between Bangladesh and Pakistan must transit through Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, significantly increasing travel time and cost.
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The resumption of air travel follows renewed momentum in bilateral relations. Cargo shipping between Karachi and Bangladesh’s main seaport in Chittagong restarted in November 2024, signaling a broader revival of trade ties.
Diplomatic engagement has also picked up pace in recent months. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, had earlier expressed optimism that direct flights would resume in January during talks with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Relations between the two countries had remained strained during the tenure of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. However, ties improved notably after her government was ousted and she left the country.
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In a series of high-level interactions, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq visited Dhaka in December to attend the funeral of Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia. Earlier, in August 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also traveled to Dhaka, where he held meetings with Professor Yunus.
The revival of direct flights is being viewed as another positive step toward normalizing and strengthening relations between Islamabad and Dhaka.
