British Airways to offer second Pakistan destination from next month

BA will offer four services a week from Heathrow, beginning 12 October, the same frequency as Virgin, which starts services in December.

Both carriers are taking advantage of Pakistan International Airlines, which was banned from the UK for six months in July.

PIA’s ban, by Easa, the EU’s Air Safety Agency, follows concerns about the validity of some of the airline’s pilots’ licences. PIA is using third party carriers to operate some UK flights.

Lahore, Pakistan’s second city, is the capital of the Punjab and a huge VFR market from the UK. BA’s route there follows its return to the Pakistani capital Islamabad in August, which it serves daily.

Virgin will fly from Heathrow to Lahore and Islamabad, and from Manchester to Islamabad from December.