DHAKA, Bangladesh / ISLAMABAD

Bangladesh and Pakistan on Thursday resumed direct flight connections after a 14-year hiatus, opening opportunities to boost trade and tourism between the two Muslim nations.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines said in an official statement that direct flights on the Dhaka–Karachi–Dhaka route were launched with the first flight, BG-341, departing Dhaka for Karachi at 8:00 pm local time.

Sheikh Bashir Uddin, adviser at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, addressed the reopening ceremony, which was attended by Imran Haider, Pakistan’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, and Air Vice Marshal Md. Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

The non-stop flights, operating under the winter schedule, will run every Thursday and Saturday.

Direct flights were suspended in 2012 by the then Sheikh Hasina administration on “security” grounds.

Following the August 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina and forced her to flee to India, relations between the two South Asian countries have seen a revival.

After prolonged discussions and high-level visits from Pakistan, including a visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in August last year, the decision to resume flights was finalized a few months ago.

Dar’s visit marked the first such high-profile Pakistani visit to Bangladesh in 13 years. Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan in 1971 following a war of independence.

In August last year, Bangladesh lifted visa requirements for Pakistani officials for the first time since 1971, while Pakistan announced 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students over the next five years, along with training programs for 100 Bangladeshi civil servants.

A 162-seat Boeing 737 aircraft will operate the 1,471-mile route between Dhaka and Karachi, with a flight time of about three hours.

Previously, travelers were required to transit through Middle Eastern hubs, resulting in longer travel times and higher costs.

Bosra Islam, general manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ public relations department, told media that all tickets for the inaugural flight were sold, while more than 80% of seats for the second flight have also been booked.

The official voiced hope that the resumed flight will increase communication between the two nations, and open new possibilities in the business, trade and tourism sectors.

According to Pakistan’s civil aviation authorities, a special welcoming ceremony will be held at Karachi airport for the arriving flight and passengers.