Virgin Atlantic is making adjustments to its flying programme, with the airline axing its services to Pakistan later this year.
Both the services from London to Heathrow and Lahore and Islamabad will cease. London and Lahore will operate until 1st May and between London and Islamabad until 9th July.
The last booked flights are:
- LHR-LHE VS364 departs 30th April 2023 at 21:55
- LHE-LHR VS365 departs 1st May 2023 at 12:25
- LHR-ISB VS378 departs 8th July 2023 at 21:55
- ISB-LHR VS379 departs 9th July 2023 at 12:40
The routes were launched in December 2020 to provide connectivity and connect the visiting friends and relatives market.
However, that market is notoriously soft, where there are other routes the airline can operate that offer more opportunities that will result in an improved bottom line.
In Quotes
On the cancellation of the routes, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson 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.”
Accommodation of affected passengers
Cancellations are never welcome – especially for passengers holding active tickets on these routes.
For passengers travelling past these dates of operation who are affected by these cancellations, the airline will be in contact to provide options, which include rebooking, where applicable, or a full refund.
If you have booked with a third-party travel agent, you should contact them to discuss your options and the policies you need to follow.
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