British Airways to resume flights to Pakistan after a decade

Islamabad, Pakistan - United Kingdom airline British Airways will resume direct flights to Pakistan in June, a decade after suspending services to the South Asian nation over security concerns, the carrier has announced. The service will resume with three flights per week between the two countries’ capitals, London and Islamabad, British Airways head of sales for Asia Pacific and the Middle East Robert Williams told a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday. “It’s exciting to be flying between Islamabad and Heathrow from next year, which we believe will be particularly popular with the British Pakistani community who want to visit, or be visited by, their relatives,” Williams said. The UK is home to an estimated 1.17 million people of Pakistani origin, according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, making it one of the largest diaspora hosts for the South Asian country. The Pakistani government has lauded the decision as an indicator of improving security and economic investment opportunities in the country.