Dhaka-Karachi direct flights resume after 14-year hiatus

Pakistan and Bangladesh have restored direct flights after a gap of 14 years, with Biman Bangladesh Airlines starting its first flight from Dhaka to Karachi on Thursday.

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG341 will depart from Dhaka at 8:00 pm and is expected to touch down at Karachi airport at 11:00 pm after a three-hour journey.

The airport authorities and the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan confirmed that they have received the flight schedule and made special arrangements for the arrival of the country’s first flight from Bangladesh at Karachi airport.

The restoration of direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan has been viewed as a significant development for both countries.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will fly twice a week, marking the first regular flights since 2012.

“We are starting operations on the Karachi-Dhaka route with two weekly flights,” Biman Bangladesh Airlines manager Bosra Islam told AFP.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are separated by more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) of Indian territory and were once a single nation. They parted ways after a bitter war in 1971.

“The restoration of direct flights will help improve connectivity between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and will facilitate business travel, tourism, and family visits,” Biman Bangladesh Airlines said in a statement.