According to reports, British Airways has resumed flight operations to Islamabad after a halt of two months. British Airways had stopped flight operations in Pakistan two months back due to technical reasons.
Reports state Civil Aviation Authority had issued a permission letter to British Airways. The airline will be required to follow the assigned flight route as well as pay the aeronautical charges. The airline will not be allowed to carry spying or military equipment as per the Standard Operating Procedure. Also, the airline will be required to notify CAA prior to the delay in flights.
The flights had been suspended between Islamabad Airport and London Heathrow Airport back in June.
The spokesperson denied the reports of suspending the flight operations due to the unavailability of fuel as baseless and fake. The flight operations between Islamabad and London will be resumed soon, he added.
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In February this year, British Airways suspended the direct flights between London and Lahore upon completion of the agreement.
Read more: British Airways temporarily suspends operations in Pakistan
Back in 2019, British Airways announced to start flight operations in Pakistan after almost a decade. After a long gap of 10 years, the first flight of British Airways, BAW-261 landed at Islamabad International Airport from Heathrow, with 240 passengers on board on June 3, 2019.
BA stopped flying to the country after a bombing in the capital city of Islamabad in 2008, which killed more than 50 people.
British High Commissioner Thomas Drew has said the airline’s resuming operations is a testament to Pakistan’s improving security situation.
In a video message via Twitter, the British envoy said that “this is a big day for the UK and Pakistan as the first flight of British Airways’ new direct service takes off from London’s Heathrow, headed here to Islamabad.”
In 2020, British Airways announced to start flight operations for Lahore on October 12th, 2020. The move came in part of the extended operations in Pakistan.