Islamabad: British Airways Tuesday announced it will begin flying direct from Lahore, Pakistan to London Heathrow four days a week, commencing on 14 October 2020. Tickets are on sale now.

The ‘City of Gardens’, Lahore is known for its rich culture and will be the second city in Pakistan that British Airways will connect to London, US and Canada. The airline already flies every single day from Islamabad, connecting friends and family as well as business contacts.

Flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 departing from Heathrow Terminal 5, landing into Lahore’s International Airport.

British High Commissioner Christian Turner said: “The first ever British Airways flights to Lahore is a sign of confidence in Pakistan, and the deepening ties between our two countries. I hope it will open up even more opportunities for business links, people-to-people ties and tourism.”

Moran Birger, Head of Sales for The Middle East and Asia Pacific, said: “We are delighted to start direct flights four times a week from Lahore to London offering convenient travel options for customers flying for leisure or business. Our new services from Lahore will connect two of Pakistan’s biggest cities with London, and offer seamless transfer options to Manchester, the United States and Canada.”

“Following the relaunch of services from Islamabad to Heathrow earlier this year, this new flight from Lahore represents our continued investment in Pakistan, and we look forward to welcoming our customers on board.”

Return fares from Pakistan if booked on ba.com start from $657 in World Traveller, $998 for World Traveller Plus, and $1806 for Club World.

On board, all cabin crew will wear PPE and a new food service has been introduced which reduces the number of interactions required with customers. Surfaces including seats, screens, seat buckles and tray tables will be cleaned after every flight and each aircraft is completely cleaned from nose to tail every day.

The air on all British Airways flights is fully recycled once every two to three minutes through HEPA filters, which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.