File photo. Farooq Naeem—AFP
British airline says books will start from September for direct flights to Islamabad and Lahore
British airline Virgin Atlantic on Thursday announced that it would start direct flights to Pakistan from December.
In a post on Twitter, the airline said that it would have direct flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to Islamabad and Lahore. It said that direct services would also be offered from Manchester to Islamabad.
Bookings will start from September, the airline added.
The announcement comes after British Airways also expressed interest in operating direct flights to Lahore. A team of the airline visited the Allama Iqbal International Airport earlier this week to review arrangements made by the airport management in this regard.
British Airways has already resumed direct flights to Islamabad, which had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A spokesman for the Pakistan International Airlines has welcomed the initiative, saying more competition would help provide the best services for consumers. However, critics have warned that this would likely damage the state-run airline’s operations further, as there would be fewer customers for its direct flights to the U.K.