Lahore: Non-stop air travel between Bangladesh and Pakistan was restored Thursday for the first time in 14 years, as a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight touched down at Jinnah International Airport to a traditional water salute.

The arrival of flight BG-341 from Dhaka marks the first direct commercial link between the two South Asian nations since 2012. The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) celebrated the event as "a new chapter in Pakistan-Bangladesh friendship."

"This is the first flight from Dhaka which landed at Jinnah International Airport after 14 years," the PAA said in a statement accompanying a high-level reception ceremony.

The resumption of service follows a notable shift in diplomatic relations after the August 5, 2024, ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since then, the interim government in Dhaka and officials in Islamabad have moved to bridge a decade-long divide through increased trade and transportation links.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is scheduled to operate the route twice weekly, with flights on Thursdays and Saturdays. The carrier has been granted a probationary license through March 30 to evaluate market demand before seeking long-term authorisation.

According to the airline’s schedule, flights depart Dhaka at 8:00 p.m. local time, arriving in Karachi at 11:00 p.m. Return legs are slated to depart Karachi at midnight and reach the Bangladeshi capital by 4:20 a.m.

The restoration of the air bridge, first proposed during a landmark visit to Dhaka by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar last August, ends a period where travellers were forced to rely on lengthy connecting flights through Gulf hubs like Dubai or Doha.

While Bangladesh secured its independence from Pakistan in 1971, the recent re-launch received final clearance from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, allowing the national carrier to utilise designated air corridors over the subcontinent to facilitate the three-hour journey.

With inputs from PTI