Karachi-Dhaka Direct Flights to Resume on January 29 After 14-Year Hiatus
ISLAMABAD: Karachi-Dhaka direct flights are set to resume from January 29, 2026, ending a 14-year hiatus, as relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh continue to warm amid shifting regional dynamics.
Bangladesh’s national airline announced on Thursday that it will operate two weekly flights between Dhaka and Karachi, marking the first regular air link between the two countries since 2012.
“We are relaunching the Dhaka-Karachi route with two weekly flights,” airline manager Bosra Islam told AFP, confirming that the inaugural flight will take off on January 29.
The airline said the resumption of direct flights will significantly enhance connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan, facilitating business travel, tourism, and family reunions. Currently, passengers travelling between the two countries are required to transit through Gulf hubs such as Dubai or Doha, making journeys longer and more expensive.
The revival of the Karachi-Dhaka direct flights comes against the backdrop of major political changes in Bangladesh. The country has been in turmoil since a student-led uprising ousted long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule.
Following Hasina’s removal, relations between Bangladesh and India — traditionally close allies — cooled, while ties between Dhaka and Islamabad have steadily improved.
In November 2024, cargo shipping between Karachi and Bangladesh’s main port of Chittagong resumed after years of suspension, laying the groundwork for increased trade activity between the two nations.
Since then, bilateral trade volumes have risen, and people-to-people contacts have expanded. Pakistani singers have performed in Dhaka, while a growing number of Bangladeshi patients have been travelling to Pakistan for medical treatment.
The resumption of Karachi-Dhaka direct flights is being viewed as a significant confidence-building step that could further strengthen economic, cultural, and diplomatic engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh in the coming months.
