Play store
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will double its weekly flights on the Dhaka-Narita route from October 29, coinciding with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s official visit to Japan, a senior airline official said.
“We are increasing the frequency on the Dhaka-Narita-Dhaka route from one to two flights a week, with the additional service beginning on October 29,” Biman Director (Marketing and Sales) Md Ashraful Alam told media on Saturday.
He said the national flag carrier would operate flights on the route every Monday and Thursday, strengthening direct air connectivity between Bangladesh and Japan.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to travel to Japan on a regular Biman commercial flight for his four-day official visit beginning October 26.
“The Prime Minister will also return home on October 29 aboard Biman’s newly introduced Thursday flight from Narita,” Alam said.
The increase in flight frequency comes nearly three months after Biman resumed its direct Dhaka-Narita-Dhaka service on July 27, restoring Bangladesh’s only nonstop air connection with Japan following a suspension of more than a year.
The airline initially relaunched the route with one weekly flight using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with plans to increase services depending on passenger demand, commercial performance and aircraft availability.
Biman officials earlier said the resumption had received an encouraging response from passengers, particularly Bangladeshis living in Japan.
More than 40,000 Bangladeshi students and workers are estimated to be living in Japan, creating demand for direct air travel between the two countries. The route is also considered important for promoting bilateral trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
Biman is exploring potential codeshare arrangements with Japan Airlines (JAL) and Air Canada to establish Narita as a transit gateway for Bangladeshi passengers travelling to North America and other destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
If finalised, the proposed partnerships could allow passengers to connect through Narita to destinations such as Vancouver, Los Angeles and Seoul through coordinated ticketing and baggage arrangements.
The Dhaka-Narita route was previously relaunched in September 2023 after a 17-year suspension but was discontinued on July 1, 2025, amid aircraft shortages, operational costs and commercial considerations.
Following the formation of the current BNP government, Biman moved to restore the service as part of broader efforts to strengthen aviation and economic ties with Japan.
The introduction of a second weekly flight is expected to offer passengers greater flexibility while helping the national carrier improve the route’s commercial viability.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Japan from October 26 to 29 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. During the visit, the two countries are expected to hold high-level bilateral talks and explore opportunities to expand cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, aviation and human resource development.