British Airways returns to Pakistan after 10 years

Dunya News

British Airways has announced to resume flight operation in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - British Airways, the United Kingdom’s national carrier, has announced to restart flights to Pakistan after ten years.

“British Airways returns to Pakistan. Direct flights from London Heathrow to Islamabad’s new airport start in June. A further boost to links between the UK and Pakistan - especially on trade and investment,” said British High Commissioner Thomas Drew in a video on Twitter.

“The links between Britain and Pakistan are already extraordinary - from commerce, culture and cricket to people, politics and education. But I see this launch as a vote of confidence in the future of these links - and, ofcourse, the reflection of the great improvement in security situation in Pakistan in recent years,” he added.

Thomas Drew said the return of British Airways will give particular boost to our trade and investment links. British Airways itself would join a growing list of British companies already doing business in Pakistan. It will also allow more people from the UK to discover, like I have, quite what a beautiful country Pakistan is.

“I look forward to using the service myself when the flights start in June,” the British High Commissioner said.


ABOUT BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT SERVICE


The route will launch as a three-per-week- service, operated on a three-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner – British Airways’ newest long-haul fleet that is 20 per cent more fuel efficient than other aircraft and features larger windows, mood lighting and the latest inflight entertainment.

Return fares start from 499 GBP for World Traveller, 773 GBP for World Traveller Plus and 1,799 GBP for Club World.

In Islamabad today (Tuesday), British Airways official also held a press conference along with Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari.

"British Airways coming back after a decade shows you where we were and how far we ve come," Bukhari said, terming the announcement "groundbreaking".

"This is a huge achievement for where we [Pakistan] want to be. It s a huge step for this government that it has given foreign investors that security to come back."

The officials of the British High Commission termed restoration of peace in Pakistan as a ‘good omen.’

Thanking British Airways for reviving its flight operation, Army spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said the dividends of decades long struggle of Pakistani nation and its security forces for restoration of peace and stability in the country are on the way. 

British Airways suspended flight operation in Pakistan in September 2008 after the attack on Marriot hotel in Islamabad.