ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has inked a significant cargo interline special arrangement with Biman Bangladesh Airlines to strengthen bilateral trade and smoother air cargo movement.
According to a PIA spokesperson, the agreement will take effect on December 1, 2025.
Under the partnership, Saudi Arabia’s major cities—Jeddah, Madinah, and Riyadh—will act as transit gateways, establishing a strategic corridor for regional trade.
The collaboration is expected to simplify the logistics of transporting high-value goods such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products.
By leveraging the extensive networks of both national carriers, the partnership will offer efficient and cost-effective cargo solutions.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, informed the National Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament, that Pakistan and Bangladesh are working to resume flight operations in a bid to boost trade, tourism, and medical travel between the two countries.
He said Bangladesh has allowed two Pakistani airlines, namely “Fly Jinnah” and “Air Sial”, to operate flights between the two countries.
Direct air connections between Pakistan and Bangladesh have been limited for several years, forcing most travelers to route their journeys through Middle Eastern hubs.
Ties between the two countries have improved since the fall of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, which was seen as closely aligned with India and critical of Pakistan. This shift occurred following the student-led uprising in August 2024.
Pakistan has sought to strengthen its relations with Bangladesh in recent months, particularly as tensions remain between Dhaka and New Delhi, following India’s decision to offer asylum to Hasina after she fled Bangladesh.
Pakistan has also extended an offer to Bangladesh to utilise the Karachi Port to facilitate its trade with regional nations, including China and the Central Asian states.
This offer was made during the 9th Pak-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting held in Dhaka.
