4 months ago
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Bangladesh's emblem bearer volition resume nonstop flights betwixt Dhaka and Pakistan's largest metropolis Karachi from January 29, restoring non-stop aerial connectivity betwixt the 2 countries aft implicit a decade, officials said connected Wednesday (January 7, 2026).
Initially, state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines volition run doubly a week, connected Thursdays and Saturdays, connected the Dhaka-Karachi route, the hose said successful a statement.
The formation volition depart Dhaka astatine 8:00 p.m. section clip and get successful Karachi astatine 11:00 p.m. The instrumentality formation volition depart Karachi astatine 12:00 midnight and get successful Dhaka astatine 4:20 a.m., it said.
Currently, passengers travelling betwixt the 2 countries mostly beryllium connected connecting flights done hubs specified arsenic Dubai oregon Doha.
According to Biman officials, the level would alert implicit Indian airspace, portion the aerial region betwixt Dhaka and Karachi is astir 2,370 kilometres.
It is not instantly known whether Bangladesh has secured the indispensable clearance from New Delhi for overflight permissions.
Biman officials said discussions with Pakistani authorities were underway for respective months to restart the route, which volition people the archetypal nonstop Dhaka–Karachi flights since 2012.
The improvement comes amid increasing bonhomie betwixt Bangladesh and Pakistan pursuing the autumn of erstwhile premier curate Sheikh Hasina’s authorities successful 2024, with Dhaka and Islamabad taking steps successful caller months to rebuild diplomatic, commercialized and people-to-people ties aft years of strained relations. Bangladesh gained independency from Pakistan successful 1971.
The re-launch follows ceremonial support from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, which has cleared Biman to run connected the way and to usage designated aerial corridors wrong Pakistani airspace, the officials said.
“The motorboat of this caller way is expected to marque rider question betwixt Bangladesh and Pakistan easier and much convenient. It volition besides unfastened up caller opportunities for business, tourism and household travel,” Biman Bangladesh said successful the property release.
The caller flights volition beryllium operated utilizing modern craft and experienced formation crews, it said.
At present, respective airlines, including Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Flydubai, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Thai Airways, run transit flights from Bangladesh to Pakistan. As a result, travelling from Dhaka to Karachi takes astir 8 to 12 hours connected average, including transit time. On immoderate airlines, the travel tin instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic 18 to 22 hours.
Plans to restart nonstop flights betwixt Bangladesh and Pakistan were archetypal announced successful August past twelvemonth during the sojourn of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka.
Mr. Dar's sojourn to Dhaka was the archetypal specified high-level engagement betwixt Pakistan and Bangladesh successful implicit a decade.
