ISLAMABAD – Virgin Atlantic has announced to suspend services between the United Kingdom and Pakistan as the British airline decided to make a few changes over ‘low yield operations’.
The airline started operations two years back as it rolled out operations to Islamabad and Lahore from Heathrow during the Covid pandemic when the airlines’ traditional markets in the US and other nations were restricted due to stringent measures.
A spokesperson of Virgin Atlantic said it is to be announced with regret that we’ve taken the difficult decision to suspend our services between London Heathrow and Pakistan. “This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused,” Virgin Atlantic said in a statement, and further thanked Pakistani customers, teams, partners and the authorities for their support over the past two years.”
The spokesman maintained that suspending services to South Asian country will ensure its resources are ‘utilised in the most optimal way to achieve operational resilience’.
Virgin Atlantic also announced the final flight dates to Pakistan which are as follows:
LONDON-LAHORE VS364 | 30th April 2023 at 21:55 |
LAHORE-LONDON VS365 | 1st May 2023 at 12:25 |
LAHORE-ISLAMABAD VS378 | 8th July 2023 at 21:55 |
ISLAMABAD-LONDON VS379 | 9th July 2023 at 12:40 |
It mentioned continuing operations between London and Lahore until May 1 and between London to Islamabad until July 9.
The end of operations from the airline also sounds alarm for travelers as Pakistan International Airlines is facing a ban from operating flights to the United Kingdom and Europe in wake of the fake degrees scandal.
Virgin Atlantic flight lands at Lahore airport