The first flight of British Airways is arriving at Islamabad International Airport today (Monday), as the airlines resumed its operation to Pakistan after more than a decade. The flight of British Airways (BA-261) is arriving at Islamabad International Airport on Monday at 9:25 A.M from Heathrow (London) where 240 passengers will arrive by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with Pakistani and British flags in their hands, said a spokesperson of the Aviation Division on Sunday.
British High Commissioner Thomas Drew, a message on the twitter, termed this a 'big' day for UK and Pakistan and stated that the resumption of the operation of the British Airways will give a particular boost to trade and investment between the two countries.
"A big day for the UK and Pakistan. British Airways first flight on its new direct service to Islamabad takes off from London Heathrow this afternoon. It can look forward to a warm welcome when it lands here tomorrow", Thomas Drew stated in a tweet on Sunday.
The spokesperson for the Aviation Division further said that in line with the spirit of this joyous occasion, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Minister for Aviation, Abdur Razak Dawood, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production, Zulfiqar Hussain Bukhari, Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development along with Shahrukh Nusrat, Secretary Aviation, senior officials of Aviation Division, and the British High Commission will welcome the passengers at Islamabad International Airport.
The same aircraft, as flight BA-260, will depart for Heathrow at 11:10 A.M with passengers on board from Islamabad. As per the flight programme during the summer season, the spokesperson said that the British Airways will fly thrice a week between London Heathrow and Islamabad. Considering presence of large Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom, the BA 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 passenger's and cargo traffic, the initiatives will provide impetus to the growth of the aviation sector in line with the National Aviation Policy, 2019. "The Aviation Division stands committed to provide world-class passenger experience at Pakistan's airports with its state-of-the-art facilities and technological excellence", the spokesperson added.