WEB DESK: Following an agreement regarding the launch of direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh earlier this month, Bangladesh has approved the commencement of operations for private airline Fly Jinnah.
The direct flights on the Karachi-Dhaka-Karachi route, will resume air travel between the two cities after almost a decade.
“They [Fly Jinnah] applied to us, and we have approved it,” Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan told The Business Standard.
As the next step, Fly Jinnah would be required to appoint a local General Sales Agent (GSA) in Bangladesh. Bhuiyan also said that once that once the GSA has been appointed, the airline would be provided with slots and frequencies.
National carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), last operated direct flights on this route until February 2015.
On January 30, the Bangladesh envoy to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain, the direct flight operation between Pakistan and Bangladesh would be starting soon. He said that an agreement has been signed with Fly Jinnah in this regard.
Islamabad-Dhaka relations have improved since the ouster of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year. Hasina, 77, fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led revolution removed her from power. Her government had close ties with New Delhi, but relations between Bangladesh and India have since deteriorated.
In December last year, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of a conference in Egypt. Yunus later announced that both countries had agreed to strengthen bilateral ties.
During the meeting, the Bangladeshi high commissioner also revealed that cargo flights between Dhaka, Karachi, and Lahore would begin soon, further enhancing trade and business exchanges. He highlighted Bangladesh’s commitment to improving business partnerships with Pakistan and noted that Pakistani citizens can easily obtain Bangladeshi visas online.
Hussain encouraged joint ventures and industrial collaborations, saying both countries could benefit from stronger trade ties. He pointed out that Pakistan exports sugar, steel, surgical instruments, cement, dry fruits, pink salt, dairy products, marble, and coal to Bangladesh. In return, Pakistan could import items like tea and jute from Bangladesh, creating a complementary trade relationship.
ICCI President Qureshi stressed the importance of economic diplomacy, saying businesses from both countries could achieve major milestones through cooperation. He expressed plans to lead a delegation of potential investors to Bangladesh soon, aiming to sign agreements with the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other trade bodies.
Qureshi also highlighted ICCI’s facilitation desks, which assist businesses in resolving challenges and improving the ease of doing business.