Tag: Islamabad

Virgin Atlantic announces flight services to Pakistan from London Heathrow and Manchester

Virgin Atlantic has said that it is launching flights to Pakistan from London Heathrow and Manchester.

Subject to applicable regulatory approvals, the UK airline will fly three new routes from London Heathrow to Lahore, London Heathrow to Islamabad, as well as from Manchester to Islamabad. The new services will operate on one of Virgin Atlantic’s newest, most fuel efficient aircraft, the 787-9, boasting 31 Upper Class suites, 35 Premium and 192 Economy seats. The flights are on sale now with return Economy fares starting from £504 per person, Premium from £756 and Upper Class from £1,986.

The new services include Manchester to Islamabad operated four times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) starting on December 10 2020, with return economy fares starting from £562 per person, Premium from £779, and Upper Class from £2,051; London Heathrow to Lahore, operated four times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday) starting on December 13 2020, with return economy fares start from £519 per person, Premium from £756 and Upper Class from £1,986; and London Heathrow to Islamabad, operated three times a week (Mon, Wed, Sat) starting on December 12, 2020, with return economy fares start from £504 per person, Premium from £756 and Upper Class from £1,986.

These new services will open up over 290,000 seats between the UK and Pakistan annually while also offering connections for customers travelling from destinations throughout North America, including New York JFK, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston and San Francisco via London Heathrow onwards to Pakistan. Connections from European destinations will also be available through code-share and interline partners.

British Airways resumes London-Pakistan service after 10 years

British Airways has said that it has resumed its service between the UK and Pakistan after nearly 10 years.

The service will be operated three times a week on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from London Heathrow. The flight will be operated using a three-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner with World Traveller (long-haul economy), World Traveller Plus (long-haul premium economy) and Club World (long-haul business class).

Commenting on the service, Andrew Brem, Chief Commercial Officer at British Airways, he said: ‘Today is a great occasion for British Airways as we resume flights to Islamabad after a decade. The atmosphere on board our state-of-the-art 787 aircraft was spectacular, as was the warm welcome on the ground. British Airways has a proud history of flying to Pakistan – we first operated flights to Islamabad in 1976 – and we couldn’t be more excited to be back.’

Customers travelling will be offered customized services to enhance the onboard experience including a halal meal option in every cabin, while the airline will also ensure sauces in every meal do not include alcohol or pork. In addition, customers can also pre-order a range of special meal options including vegetarian and vegan options.

Further, the airline has a number of Pakistani and British Pakistani colleagues who speak Urdu.

British Airways’ long-haul flights allow one large cabin bag with a small laptop or handbag, and offers complimentary food and drink, online check-in and free seat selection 24 hours prior to departure. Customers landing in to London can connect on to British Airways’ network which includes over 30 destinations across North America, with over 70 flights per day to the US through the airline’s joint business with American Airlines. Customers can also connect to over 30 countries in Europe, the airline said.

British Airways to launch new service to Islamabad from Heathrow

British Airways has said that it will operate a new service from Heathrow to Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, from June 2, 2019.

The route will be operated thrice a week, on a three-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner – British Airways’ newest long-haul fleet. Return fares start from £499 for World Traveller, £773 for World Traveller Plus and £1,799 for Club World. Seats are available for booking.

A quiet city with plenty of gardens and parks, Islamabad is a cultural hub with a rich heritage. The city features a collection of museums, markets, mosques and hiking trails, as well as restaurants which serve a variety of cuisines from local Pakistani dishes to food from around the world.

Robert Williams, Head of Sales for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said: ‘It’s exciting to be flying between Islamabad and Heathrow from next year, which we believe will be particularly popular with the British Pakistani community who want to visit, or be visited by, their relatives. On the route, customers will enjoy the very best in flying. Not only is it being operated on our newest long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but it will also be landing in to the new airport in Islamabad, which opened earlier this year.’

Thomas Drew CMG, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, said: ‘I am delighted to be welcoming British Airways back to Pakistan. The launch of direct flights by British Airways between London Heathrow and Islamabad’s new International Airport is excellent news for both countries.

‘The links between Britain and Pakistan are already extraordinary – from culture and cricket, to people, politics and education. I see this launch as a vote of confidence in the future of those links – and, of course, a reflection of the great improvements in the security situation in Pakistan in recent years. The return of British Airways will give a particular boost to our growing trade and investment links. British Airways itself joins an increasing number of British companies doing business in Pakistan. I hope too that it will allow more people from the UK to discover, like I have, what a beautiful country Pakistan is. I look forward to using the service myself when flight start in June.’

Islamabad is one of four long-haul routes being launched by British Airways in 2019, its centenary year. The airline is also launching direct flights to Pittsburgh and Charleston in the US and Osaka in Japan, alongside several short-haul routes.