Virgin Atlantic winds-up operations
in Islamabad
British airline Virgin
Atlantic has wound up its flight operations from Islamabad International
Airport. The decision came after the airline earlier declared its plans to
suspend flights between London, Lahore, and Islamabad.
According to a press
release from the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan, a Virgin Atlantic flight
departed from Islamabad to London's Heathrow Airport at 8 am on Sunday.
The airline had launched
its operations at Islamabad airport in December 2020, offering seven weekly
flights. Initially, four flights were operated to Manchester, while three were
scheduled to Heathrow Airport.
However, the airline later
scaled down its operations to only three weekly flights to Heathrow Airport.
Throughout its service, Virgin Atlantic had been committed to providing
exceptional air travel services between Islamabad and London.
On this occasion,
COO/Airport Manager Syed Aftab Gilani expressed his gratitude to the Virgin
Atlantic team for delivering world-class air travel services. He expressed hope
that Virgin Atlantic Airlines would consider returning to Pakistan in the
future.
In a statement, a spokesperson from Virgin Atlantic explained, "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 spokesperson expressed regret over the difficult decision to suspend services between London Heathrow and Pakistan, acknowledging the airline's pride in offering travel choices between London, Manchester, Islamabad, and Lahore since December 2020. The airline had also played a crucial role in transporting cargo and delivering vital medical supplies.