Ahead of UK travel ban, PIA to run flights between Islamabad, Manchester: sources
April 03, 2021
- PIA to operate flights between Manchester, Islamabad on April 6 and 7.
- Sources say 1,400 passengers to be transported on board the flights.
- Sources add that fares as high as Rs400,000 are being charged for the flights.
After Pakistan's inclusion into UK's red list, visitors that that had come back to their home country are now worried about getting back to the UK.
Pakistan International Airlines has decided to facilitate such people and has announced it is running four additional two-way flights between Islamabad and Manchester.
According to sources, these flights, which will operate between April 6 and 7 will see 1,400 passengers transported. This will allow people, who had come over to Pakistan on extended Good Friday and Easter holidays to return to the UK.
The sources said that fares as high as Rs400,000 are being charged for the flights.
Asad Umar slams red listing move
Earlier in the day Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar slammed the UK for placing Pakistan on its "red list".
“Every country has a right to take decisions to safeguard the health of their citizens,” said Umar in a tweet a day after UK placed Pakistan on its "red list".
"However, the recent decision by UK govt to add some countries including Pakistan on the red list raises a legitimate question whether choice of countries is based on science or foreign policy," he said.
Pakistan red listed by UK
On Friday, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner announced that the UK has added Pakistan to its red list of travel ban countries.
"Red Listing means that only UK and Irish nationals and those with residency rights in the UK will be allowed to travel to the UK if they have been in Pakistan in the 10 days before they arrive," Turner said in a video message posted on Twitter.
The envoy said passengers seeking to travel to the UK from Pakistan will have to pay for a mandatory quarantine stay at a hotel in the UK.
The measures will come into effect from April 9, 4am. The commissioner said direct flights between both countries will continue to operate as usual, but the schedule might change.
