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DALLAS - Virgin Atlantic (VS) has announced that it will end its services between London and Pakistan this summer.
Its London Heathrow (LHR) to Lahore (LHE) link will cease at the beginning of May, while LHR to Islamabad (ISB) will end on July 9. Its route from Manchester to ISB has also been suspended, although the carrier said this is a temporary move.
Pandemic Recovery
Virgin launched the Pakistan routes in December 2020 as Covid restrictions continued to affect its transatlantic operations. The airline said that LHE and ISB were offered to “capture the visiting friends and relatives market which was one of the first sectors to recover during the pandemic.”
However, as restrictions have been lifted, VS has rebuilt its UK-US network, adding new routes to Austin (AUS) and Tampa (TPA). In May 2023, VS will also relaunch its flights from LHR to Shanghai (PVG), China.
Airline Statement
In a statement, the airline said, “As we continue to ramp up our flying programme in 2023, we’ve taken the opportunity to review our entire network and decided to make a few changes.
“Following this review, 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 apologise 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.”
https://airwaysmag.com/virgin-atlantic-to-operate-worlds-first-net-zero-transatlantic-flight/
Featured Image: The LHR to Pakistan rotations are operated by the carriers Boeing 787-9s. Photo: Davide Calabresi/Airways.
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