After years of hiatus, Biman resumes flight services between Dhaka and Karachi

Bangladesh has resumed direct flights from Dhaka to Karachi after a long pause.

On Thursday at 8:15pm, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 737 took off from Shahjalal International Airport carrying 138 passengers.

Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Dhaka Imran Haider jointly cut the ribbon to mark the launch at a ceremony at the airport.

The airline said the Dhaka-Karachi flight will operate every Thursday and Saturday, departing Dhaka at 8pm and reaching Karachi at 11pm local time.

The return flight will leave Karachi at midnight, scheduled for 4:20am landing in Dhaka.

Passengers can book tickets or obtain flight information via Biman’s sales offices, authorised travel agents, the airline call centre (+8809610-13636), or the website (www.biman-airlines.com).

Direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan were last operated in 2018 by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Following the political transition on Aug 5, 2024, a renewed momentum emerged to restore direct connectivity.

The aerial distance between Dhaka and Karachi is roughly 2,370km.

In the absence of direct flights, travellers had to transit through Middle Eastern countries, which increased travel time to 8-12 hours on average, with some flights taking 18-22 hours.

Transit fares previously ranged from Tk 50,000-55,000 in 2019 but have now risen to around Tk 100,000.

With the direct Biman flight, round-trip fares are approximately Tk 56,000 Tk.

Airlines such as Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Fly Dubai, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Thai Airways currently provide transit flights from Bangladesh to Pakistan.