British Airways flight lands at Islamabad Airport after 11 years

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – A flight of British Airways (BA) landed at Islamabad Airport after a gap of 11 years. The first flight of British Airways (BA- 261) reached airport at 9:25am from Heathrow, London. The flight carrying 240 passengers arrived by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with Pakistani and British flags in their hands. In line with the spirit of this joyous occasion, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Hussain Bukhari and senior officials of Aviation Division and the British High Commission will welcome the passengers at Islamabad International Airport. The same aircraft will depart for Heathrow at 11:10am with passengers on board from Islamabad. Later in the day, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan along with British High Commissioner Thomas Drew, Chief Commercial Officer British Airways Andrew Brem and Secretary Aviation will hold a joint news conference. As per the flight programme during the summer season, the British Airways will fly thrice a week between Heathrow and Islamabad. Considering presence of large Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom, the British Air flights will provide a convenient connection between the two countries. Apart from the diaspora, the flight link will promote cultural values, tourism and business opportunities between the United Kingdom and Pakistan. As a new hub for air travel, Islamabad International Airport will provide easy and convenient access to all parts of Pakistan. Several other major air operators have shown keen interest in initiating operations to Islamabad. It is expected that with the growth of number of passengers and cargo traffic, the initiatives will provide impetus to the growth of the aviation sector in line with the National Aviation Policy, 2019. “The dividends of decades long struggle of Pakistani nation and its security forces for restoration of peace and stability in the country are on the way. Thanks to @British_Airways for reviving its flight operations in Pakistan,” Asif Ghafoor tweeted.