DHAKA: Bangladesh and Pakistan are to resume direct flights after more than a decade, Dhaka’s national airline said on Thursday (Jan 8), as ties warm and regional power balances shift.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is scheduled to fly its first Dhaka-Karachi flight on Jan 29 and will be operated twice weekly, the first regular flights since 2012.
“We are relaunching the Dhaka-Karachi route with two weekly flights,” airline manager Bosra Islam told AFP on Thursday.
Bangladesh and Pakistan – geographically divided by more than 1,500km by India – were once one nation. They split after a bitter war in 1971.
“The resumption of direct flights will significantly improve connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan, supporting business travel, tourism, and family reunions,” Biman Bangladesh Airlines said in a statement.
Travellers between Bangladesh and Pakistan must currently use connecting flights through Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Doha.
Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt overthrew Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her autocratic 15-year rule.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/bangladesh-pakistan-direct-flights-resume-5845826
