Direct Dhaka–Karachi flights reinstated after more than a decade
After a long hiatus, Bangladesh and Pakistan once again have a direct air link on the Dhaka–Karachi route. The first flight of the restored service, Biman Bangladesh Airlines BG-341, landed in Karachi on Thursday evening, January 29, 2026, at Jinnah International Airport, where the aircraft was welcomed with ceremonial “water cannons”, a customary aviation salute for inaugural and special flights. Such a welcome is generally used to symbolically mark the launch of a new route or an airline’s return to a specific airport, and in this case it served as a public confirmation that the direct route is returning to the regular schedule. The event also attracted attention because it connects two major urban and economic centers, with a potentially significant impact on the movement of people and goods.
The return of an uninterrupted air bridge between two major South Asian markets in practice means a shorter and simpler journey for businesspeople, travelers visiting family, students, and tourists. For some passengers, the key point is that a direct link is reopening between two countries with a long history of migration and business ties, but also periods of political distance. In the aviation sector, such routes are often viewed as an indicator of confidence in demand stability, because they require pre-arranged slots, operational preparation, and coordination of aviation authorities. For the past more than ten years, travel has generally involved transfers at Middle Eastern hubs, with additional costs and significantly longer travel time. Now, according to the carrier’s schedule, the possibility of arriving directly in Karachi reopens in roughly three hours of flying, without transit delays, restoring predictability for passengers and shortening total time away.
The ceremonial return of flight BG-341 and messages of a “new chapter”
The Pakistan Airports Authority said this was the first direct flight from Dhaka to land in Karachi after 14 years and that the aircraft was given a traditional water-arch welcome. In the same context, the return of the route was described as a “new chapter” in relations between the two countries, emphasizing the practical importance of better connectivity and strengthening people-to-people contacts. According to the report, an additional confirmation of the event’s importance is that the inaugural rotation was very full, interpreted as a signal that there is real market demand for direct travel.
In Karachi, the arrival of the crew and passengers was also attended by political figures. In media statements, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori used the occasion to present the route’s return as a broader signal of rapprochement, announcing that cooperation, in his words, should not remain limited only to aviation but expand to other sectors as well. Part of his messages focused on regional political topics, including accusations against India, which media reports noted as an integral part of the reception. Such remarks further show that even technical events, like restoring an air route, in South Asia quickly become a broader political symbol, so in the future it will also be important to distinguish the operational aspect of the route from political interpretations.
What is known about the schedule: two flights a week and the winter timetable
Bangladeshi media, citing Biman information and statements by the official spokesperson, report that the inaugural flight from Dhaka departed on January 29 at 20:00 local time, with arrival in Karachi planned around 23:00. The return flight BG-342 is scheduled to depart Karachi at 00:01, arriving in Dhaka around 04:20 the same day. On the inaugural flight, according to published data, there were about 150 passengers.
- Flight BG-341: departure from Dhaka around 20:00, arrival in Karachi around 23:00 (media reports also mention an actual landing around 23:03 according to FlightRadar24 data cited by DAWN).
- Flight BG-342: return from Karachi at 00:01, arrival in Dhaka around 04:20.
- Frequency: twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, according to the winter timetable announced with the start of the route.
- Aircraft: Boeing 737 (announcements mention a configuration of approximately 162 seats) and the route distance of about 1,471 miles (about 2,367 km), as stated in Bangladeshi reports.
According to the timetables published with the announcement of the route’s reintroduction, Biman in the initial phase plans two rotations a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights are operated with a Boeing 737 aircraft, and ahead of the route’s start it was highlighted that this is a configuration with around 162 seats. Biman representatives also said that interest in the first departures was strong: for the inaugural flight, according to Bangladeshi reports, tickets were sold out, and a large share of seats for the next flight was already reserved in advance. In practice, this is read as a market test: if high load factors continue after the initial media interest, the carrier gains an argument for keeping the route long term and possibly expanding frequencies.
Why the route was suspended and what is changing now
Direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan were out of service for years, and some sources link the suspension to the period around 2012. In some media reports the hiatus is described as 13 years, and in others as 14 years, which stems from different ways of counting the years from the last regular rotations in the early 2010s to the restart in January 2026. The common denominator is that the route was effectively inactive for more than a decade and that the return on January 29, 2026 is the first such direct passenger flight after a long break. Although official reasons in publicly available statements are not elaborated in detail, passenger demand in the meantime shifted to connecting routes, which was often the standard pattern for travel between the two countries. For passengers, this meant dependence on third countries and their rules, as well as significantly greater exposure to the risk of delays and missed connections.
The reintroduction of the direct route comes at a time when both sides emphasize a desire for practical, “human” forms of cooperation: easing travel, more frequent business contacts, and strengthening cultural ties. In diplomatic messages, including statements by the Pakistani mission in Dhaka, the return of the uninterrupted route was described as a step that should reinforce connectivity and bilateral engagement. In the regional context, air connectivity is often the first tangible signal of thawing relations because it quickly translates into concrete benefits for citizens and entrepreneurs. Moreover, a stable route makes it easier to plan events, visits, and business delegations, because travel no longer has to be built around transit schedules and visa restrictions in third destinations.
For passengers and the economy, the key is the operational dimension: will flights be regular, what will load factors be, and will the number of frequencies expand over time. Airline markets in the region in recent years have been under pressure from fuel prices, exchange-rate movements, and security standards, so every new or restored route must find an economic rationale, not just a political message. That is precisely why the first months of operations, with rotations on Thursdays and Saturdays, will be a kind of “stress test” for the route: in tourism and business travel demand can be cyclical, so sustainability will be best seen once the initial wave of interest passes.
Economic aspect: trade is growing, logistics are expanding
The reinstatement of direct flights is taking place in a period when goods exchange between the two countries, according to available data, has recorded growth. Bangladeshi portal bdnews24.com reported in August 2025 that bilateral trade in fiscal year 2024/2025 reached about 865 million US dollars, roughly 20 percent more than the previous year. The same report states that Pakistani exports to Bangladesh increased, while imports from Bangladesh also recorded a strong percentage jump, with a smaller absolute value but notable growth. Such figures typically accompany messages of greater market openness and stronger business contacts, and in this specific case also of more intensive meetings of diplomats and businesspeople.
Alongside the macro figures, examples of the structure of trade were also presented: it is stated that Bangladesh mainly imports from Pakistan raw materials and inputs for the textile and garment industry, as well as goods such as clinker, leather, and certain agricultural products, while Bangladesh exports to Pakistan tea, ready-made garments, and raw jute. Independent data from the UN COMTRADE database, cited by Trading Economics, also indicate a significant value of Pakistani exports to Bangladesh in 2024 and the dominance of categories linked to cotton and textiles. While such databases do not explain the motives for trade, they help understand where real economic ties are already strong and where logistical facilitation, such as faster business travel, could provide additional impetus.
In that framework, direct passenger flights do not only change the travel experience but can also have secondary effects on the economy: they facilitate faster business visits, encourage trade-fair and investment contacts, and can indirectly support goods traffic by strengthening business networks. Especially in sectors where short deadlines, in-person meetings, and product samples matter, air connectivity often acts as an accelerator of cooperation. For entrepreneurs, the ability to organize travel at short notice without days of planning transit routings is also important, which is a common problem in regions dominated by flights via major hubs.
The bdnews24.com report also mentions a symbolic logistical signal of strengthening ties: a Pakistani cargo ship, flying the Pakistani flag, docked in Chattogram for the first time after a longer period, pointing to a broader effort to restore communication channels beyond aviation. While passenger flights do not directly carry cargo at the same scale as freight services, they help establish trust and continuity of contacts, which is often a prerequisite for more serious logistical arrangements and longer-term contracts.
Travel cost and savings without transit
For travelers, the most visible change is in travel time and price. Ahead of the first flight, The Business Standard cited a statement by Biman spokesperson Boshra Islam that the direct route could save passengers up to around 30,000 taka per person, primarily by avoiding transit costs and additional overnight stays. In addition, the direct route reduces dependence on the rules of transit countries, which can change, and reduces overall “travel fatigue” on short business trips. Passengers traveling with luggage, family, or clearly defined deadlines get a simpler itinerary, and in case of schedule disruptions there is less of a “domino effect” of connections.
Such savings, however, depend on seasonality, load factors, ticket prices, and market competition. If demand proves to sustain two weekly rotations and the carrier maintains operational reliability, the chances rise that capacity will increase over time, which could further stabilize prices. Otherwise, the route will remain more symbolic and focused on niche passenger groups, for example business delegations and travelers with family ties. That is why many in the industry watch the first months as a key phase: routes that “survive” the initial period often become a permanent part of the network, while those that lack stable load factors quickly end up on the list of seasonal or temporary operations.
Diplomatic context and sensitive issues in the background
Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh are burdened by a complex history, and public debates in both countries periodically return to issues from the period of Bangladesh’s creation and later political disputes. In recent months, according to bdnews24.com, part of the trade rapprochement is explained by “political thawing” and intensified contacts after the change of government in Bangladesh in August 2024. Such wording suggests that the restored air link is part of a broader set of moves that includes diplomatic meetings and business delegations. In practice, this means that alongside symbolism, there is an attempt to build concrete relational infrastructure: institutional meetings, cooperation agreements, and the promotion of trade.
On the other hand, the way certain politicians welcomed the inaugural flight shows that the symbolism of air connectivity can quickly turn into political messaging. Tessori, for example, in a public address made serious accusations directed at India, including claims related to terrorism and “conspiracies”. Such statements indicate that some regional themes still spill over into bilateral events, which is why the tone of official communications will remain important for the stability of cooperation. For travelers and the economy, however, the decisive factor will remain the pragmatic outcome: flight regularity, service level, and ticket prices—i.e., whether the air bridge will be maintained beyond political symbolism.
What comes next: demand, capacity, and passenger expectations
In the first weeks after the route’s restoration, attention will be on practical indicators: departure punctuality, ticket availability, and schedule stability on Thursdays and Saturdays. If interest proves to persist after the initial symbolic momentum, Biman could consider additional rotations or seasonal adjustments, especially if the number of business delegations and trade-related trips increases. In aviation, sustainability is not measured by a single “full” inaugural flight, but by repeated demand over multiple weeks and across different levels of business and tourist activity.
For Karachi, as Pakistan’s largest economic center and main seaport hub, a direct link with Dhaka also opens the possibility of stronger linkage of services: from fairs and conferences to educational and medical travel. Dhaka, on the other hand, gains more direct access to the Pakistani market and institutions, with a real benefit for travelers who previously had to plan additional hours of transfers. Combined with the growth in trade indicated by available data, the restored route gains a broader frame: it becomes part of the infrastructure that supports business contacts, goods exchange, and more frequent people-to-people ties.
That is why the water-cannon salute on the runway at Jinnah International Airport was not only a ceremonial moment. It was also a signal that, after years of interruption, the infrastructure of everyday connectivity is being rebuilt. If the route’s sustainability is confirmed over months, not just through the inaugural flight, Dhaka–Karachi could become one of those routes that quietly turns into a standard—and only later into a measurable contribution to trade, tourism, and people’s contacts on both sides.
Sources:- DAWN – report on the arrival of BG-341 in Karachi and the Pakistan Airports Authority statement, including the description of the water-cannon welcome ( link )- Dhaka Tribune – details on the BG-341/BG-342 schedule, times, and the number of passengers on the inaugural flight ( link )- The Business Standard – announcement of the route’s start, aircraft type, and claims about expected savings by avoiding transit ( link )- bdnews24.com – data on bilateral trade growth and the structure of goods exchange in fiscal 2024/2025 ( link )- Trading Economics (UN COMTRADE) – indicative data on the value and structure of Pakistani exports to Bangladesh ( link )
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