▪ Virgin Atlantic has established itself as the market leader in Pakistan to UK market, operating from Islamabad to London Heathrow and Manchester and from Lahore to London Heathrow.

▪ Despite Covid related challenges, Virgin Atlantic has carried more than 120,000 passengers to and from Pakistan

This week Virgin Atlantic celebrates 12 months of flying from UK to Pakistan. Strong demand from Pakistan diaspora visiting friends and relatives has contributed to a successful first year of operations. Virgin Atlantic has established itself as the number one carrier for travel from Pakistan to UK, with award-winning service and a choice of three direct routes. Pakistan was Virgin’s first new country to launch during the pandemic, and the first time it has ever flown from Manchester to Asia. Virgin Atlantic has continued operations throughout the last year, even during periods of the tightest travel restrictions, demonstrating the resilience of the Pakistan market.

Highlights of the year included carrying both the men’s and women’s Pakistan Cricket team to UK and beyond for their Caribbean tours in 2021 Virgin Atlantic operates the state of the art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on all routes from Pakistan, offering the airline’s Upper Class, Premium and Economy cabins. Passengers can take advantage of over 1,000 hours of in-flight entertainment, which includes a selection of Urdu films and TV programmes. Virgin Atlantic offers Halal food options for customers along with its award-winning service.

Virgin Atlantic offers seamless connectivity via London Heathrow to North America, offering speedy connections to destinations such as New York JFK, Boston and Los Angeles.

As well as transporting customers, Virgin Atlantic offers a fast, efficient cargo service. This has enabled trade between exporters and importers in both the UK and Pakistan. The UK is the largest export market for Pakistan in Europe, transporting high volumes of goods such as textiles, apparel and machinery.

Passenger safety is Virgin Atlantic’s number one priority and the airline has implemented a ‘Fly Safe, Fly Well’ programme during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alex McEwan, Country Manager – South Asia at Virgin Atlantic, commented; “We are so proud to celebrate a successful first 12 months of flying to Pakistan. Over 120,000 passengers have chosen to fly with us so far and we look forward to welcoming even more in 2022 and beyond. We have had very positive feedback from customers in Pakistan, who value the peace of mind we offer with our flexible booking policy, as well as our famous on-board service. We are grateful for the wonderful welcome we have received in Pakistan and are determined to be the most loved travel company here.”