The flight was greeted with a traditional water salute upon arrival, marking the occasion with a high-level reception ceremony at the airport.
After a gap of 14 years, non-stop flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan have resumed. A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dhaka touched down at Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan's Karachi, signalling a new chapter in bilateral ties.
"This is the first flight from Dhaka which landed at Jinnah International Airport after 14 years," the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) said in a statement.
The flight was greeted with a traditional water salute upon arrival on Thursday, marking the occasion with a high-level reception ceremony at the airport, news agency PTI reported.
Boost to Pakistan-Bangladesh relations
The restoration of air connectivity comes amid warming relations between the two countries. The PAA described the event as “a new chapter in Pakistan-Bangladesh friendship -- air connectivity restored after 14 years.”
This development follows growing diplomatic engagement between the two nations after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office following widespread student-led protests in Bangladesh on 5 August 2024.
Flight schedule and operations
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate flights between Dhaka and Karachi twice weekly, initially under a provisional licence valid until March 30. This trial period will determine whether longer-term permissions can be granted.
According to the airline, flights will depart Dhaka at 8:00 pm local time and arrive in Karachi at 11:00 pm on Thursdays and Saturdays. The return flight will leave Karachi at midnight and reach Dhaka at 4:20 am.
Discussions to resume direct flights have been ongoing since last year, aimed at enhancing trade and strengthening bilateral ties. Bangladesh separated from Pakistan in 1971, and relations have been occasionally strained over the decades.
Plans for the flight’s relaunch were first announced in August 2025 during the visit of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka. That visit was the first high-level engagement between the two countries in over a decade.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has formally approved Biman Bangladesh Airlines to operate the route and to use designated air corridors within Pakistani airspace, officials confirmed.
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