A British airline called Virgin Atlantic stated on Monday that it would stop operating flights “between London Heathrow and Lahore and Islamabad.”
According to a statement, the airline’s flights between London and Lahore and London and Islamabad will cease on May 1 and July 9, respectively.
“As we continue to ramp up our flying program in 2023, we’ve taken the opportunity to review our entire network and decided to make a few changes,” the airline’s spokesperson said in the statement.
Virgin Atlantic offered flights in COVID
At the height of the pandemic in December 2020, Virgin Atlantic began offering flights from London Heathrow to Islamabad, Lahore, and Manchester.
When many destinations, including the US, were off-limits for travel, the routes were introduced.
“Our Pakistan routes were targeted to capture the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market which was one of the first sectors to recover,” the airline mentioned.
But as the airline ramps up its flying program for 2023, the carrier is reviewing its “network and ensuring resources are utilized in the most optimal way to achieve operational resilience”.
“…it is with regret that we’ve taken the difficult decision to suspend our services between London Heathrow and Pakistan. Since commencing operations in December 2020, we have been proud to offer choice for customers travelling between London and Manchester in the UK, and Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan.”
“During that time, we have also provided important cargo capacity, as well as delivering vital medical supplies.”
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we’d like to apologize for any inconvenience caused. We would like to wholeheartedly thank everyone in Pakistan; our customers, teams, partners and the authorities for their support over the past two years.”
The airline stated that it would inform any passengers affected by the cancellations who were scheduled to travel after these dates and would offer options such as rebooking, where appropriate, or a full refund.
The airline firm noted that clients who made their reservations through a third-party travel agent should get in touch with them to discuss their alternatives.
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