British airline Virgin Atlantic has started its operations in Pakistan on Friday, becoming the latest international airline to start serving passengers in the South Asian country.
The airline will operate eight weekly flights to Pakistan.
The first flight that arrived in the capital, Islamabad was received on the tarmac by Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfikar Bukhari and British High Commissioner Christian Turner.
Pakistan’s national airlines PIA flew flights to Britain and other European destinations but this year faced a crisis when it grounded pilots hired in previous years without authentic certifications.
Earlier in December, the airline was granted permission to operate to and from Pakistan. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved the airlines’ cargo and passenger flight operations and granted permission for passenger flights. Virgin Atlantic had announced three routes to Pakistan from the UK ie London-Lahore, London-Islamabad, and Manchester-Islamabad. Alongside passenger flights, the airline also announced cargo service to facilitate companies intending to export and import goods between Pakistan and markets of the UK and the US.
Virgin Atlantic restarted flying passengers on July 20, 2020, after a three-month hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and “is currently operating flights to New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Barbados, and Miami.
The British High Commission in Pakistan, another flight from the federal capital will take off for London’s Heathrow airport on December 13 and a third will head from Lahore to London on December 14.
Pakistan is the airline’s first new route since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
British High Commissioner Christian Turner said the beginning of the airline’s operations to Pakistan was a “historic moment”. “Our 1.6 million strong Pakistani diasporas in the UK is at the heart of our ties,” he said.
“Eighteen months ago we had no British airlines flying in Pakistan; today we have over 20 direct flights a week to both Islamabad and Lahore. This is a sign of confidence in Pakistan and will improve people to people links and boost trade. “Followed by the change in travel advice and return of England cricket team to Pakistan, it further shows #UKPakDosti.”
The airline will operate the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on all routes from Pakistan, the press statement said, adding that the passengers will be provided with in-flight entertainment including movies and shows in Urdu. Halal food options will also be available. “The UK is home to the largest Pakistani diaspora community in the world, with around 1.6 million people,” the press release read. “The new Virgin Atlantic services will provide vital connectivity for friends and relatives visiting family and loved ones, in addition to serving the growing demand for business and leisure travel.”
Additionally, connecting flights to destinations in North America, including New York, Boston, and Los Angeles will also be available. The airline is also offering “onward connectivity alongside its transatlantic joint-venture partner Delta Airlines” to more than 200 destinations in North America. In addition, the airline has “redesigned” its meals to minimize interaction “enclosed and controlled from preparation in a Covid-safe, monitored environment to the moment it is served”.
Furthermore, the airline will also provide “fast, efficient” cargo services which will “enable growing trade volumes between exporters and importers in both the UK and Pakistan”. The press release noted that the UK is Pakistan’s “largest export market” for textile, apparel, and machinery.
“We are thrilled to bring our award-winning service to customers in Pakistan,” the press statement quoted Virgin Atlantic South Asia’s Country Manager Alex McEwan as saying. “We are confident that passengers will love flying with us on our cutting-edge Boeing 787 Dreamliner to London Heathrow, Manchester and beyond to North America.
“Our services will promote trade and provide vital connectivity between the UK and Pakistan, enhancing already close ties. It has been a monumental effort to enable our set up in Pakistan, and I would like to thank the British High Commission and the Pakistan authorities for their unwavering support,” Alex McEwan said.
