Biman Brings Back Direct Dhaka–Karachi Flights After 14 Years

After a hiatus of 14 years, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to resume direct flights on the Dhaka–Karachi route from January 29. With the launch of this service, passengers traveling Bangladesh–Pakistan–Bangladesh will no longer need to rely on transit flights via Dubai or Doha.

Responsible sources at Biman Bangladesh Airlines said the national flag carrier has initially decided to operate the direct flights on a trial basis twice a week from January 29 to March 30, 2026. A final decision on the continuation of the service will be taken after evaluating its performance during this period.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Iqbal Hussain Khan, had said that Biman Bangladesh Airlines was preparing to launch three direct flights per week to Karachi.

The fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, brought a “new momentum” to bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan, accelerating progress on the resumption of direct flights between the two countries.

The aerial distance between Dhaka and Karachi is approximately 2,370 kilometers. However, in the absence of direct flights, airlines have been forced to operate via Middle Eastern countries as transit points.

Due to transit routes, airfare that stood between Tk 50,000 and Tk 55,000 in 2019 has now risen to an average of over Tk 100,000.

Currently, several airlines—including Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Flydubai, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Thai Airways—operate transit flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Including transit time, traveling from Dhaka to Karachi usually takes around eight to twelve hours, while some airlines require as long as 18 to 22 hours.

Return fares on this route in economy class currently range between Tk 85,000 and Tk 120,000.

It is worth noting that discussions between the relevant authorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh regarding the resumption of the Dhaka–Karachi route had been ongoing for several months. Following these talks, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority approved the operation of flights on this route and granted Biman permission to use Pakistan’s airspace through designated corridors.

According to a report by Geo News published on January 2, the approval was granted after clearance from Pakistan’s federal government in the context of improving diplomatic relations between the two countries since August 5. The authorization will initially remain valid until March 30, 2026.

DBTech/DPO/EK/OR