Virgin Atlantic will start service between the United Kingdom and Pakistan in December, the carrier announced.
Pending regulatory approval, the carrier will operate three routes between the countries: between London Heathrow and both Islamabad and Lahore and between Manchester and Islamabad. It plans to begin selling tickets for the new routes in September.
Virgin Atlantic is timing the routes for "seamless, speedy connections and a consistent long-haul onboard experience" from U.S. gateways including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston and San Francisco.
"We … see a significant opportunity to increase competition in the U.S.-Pakistan market," according to Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen. "Using the strength of our transatlantic services we're able to offer customers the shortest journey to and from destinations in the U.S. such as New York, Los Angeles and Washington by connecting through London Heathrow."
The carrier indicated that "fast-growing demand" for family visits in Pakistan is the initial driver of the service, but it also expects to tap into business travel demand to Pakistan as economies recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Virgin Atlantic expects cargo business from exporting and importing such goods as textiles and fresh produce between Pakistan and both the United Kingdom and the United States.