After a gap of 14 years, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to resume direct flights on the Dhaka–Karachi route. The national flag carrier officially begins operating the non-stop service on Thursday, initially offering two flights per week.
According to the published schedule, the flight will depart Dhaka at 8:00 pm local time and arrive in Karachi at 11:00 pm. The return flight will leave Karachi at midnight and reach Dhaka at 4:20 am the following day.
The introduction of direct flights is expected to significantly reduce travel time as well as passenger expenses. Travelers will save at least 30,000 taka compared to previous journeys, which required lengthy stopovers at Middle Eastern transit hubs and involved higher costs.
The 1,471-mile journey between Dhaka and Karachi will be operated using a 162-seat Boeing 737 aircraft, with the non-stop flight taking approximately three hours.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ General Manager of Public Relations, Boshra Islam, said all tickets for the inaugural flight have already been sold out, while more than 80 percent of seats on the second flight have also been booked.
“With the launch of direct flights, travel will be faster, more comfortable, and free from transit-related hassles,” she said.
Passengers have expressed strong enthusiasm over the resumption of direct flights to Pakistan after more than a decade. Many believe the move will enhance people-to-people connectivity and open new opportunities in trade, business, and tourism between the two countries.
Aviation expert and editor of The Bangladesh Monitor, Kazi Wahidul Alam, said the route’s reopening would not only benefit passenger travel but also create significant opportunities for cargo transportation.
“It will also contribute to strengthening social, economic, and political relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan,” he added.
Direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi were suspended in 2012 due to security concerns. With the service now restored, passengers will be able to travel round-trip for as low as 51,000 taka, representing a reduction of 30,000 to 70,000 taka compared to previous fares. Until now, travelers were required to transit through hubs such as Dubai and Doha, making journeys longer, more expensive, and less convenient.