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British Airways to Pakistan: BA resumes flights after a decade following 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing

British Airways is to restart flights to Pakistan more than a decade after halting them in the wake of a major hotel bombing that killed 54 people.

BA pulled out of the country after the attack at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel in September 2008, which killed six British citizens. At least 266 people were injured.

It will be the only Western airline travelling to Pakistan when flights between London Heathrow and Islamabad resume on June 2 next year.

The three-flights-per-week service will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and will serve the Pakistani capital's new international airport, which opened in May.

BA's head of sales for Asia Pacific and the Middle East Robert Williams said: "It's exciting to be flying between Islamabad and Heathrow from next year, which we believe will be particularly popular with the British Pakistani community who want to visit, or be visited by, their relatives."

Robert Williams, British Airways head of sales for Asia Pacific, with special assistant to the Pakistani prime minister Zulfi Bukhari and acting British high commissioner Richard Crowder (AFP/Getty Images)
Robert Williams, British Airways head of sales for Asia Pacific, with special assistant to the Pakistani prime minister Zulfi Bukhari and acting British high commissioner Richard Crowder (AFP/Getty Images)

British high commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew described the announcement as "excellent news for both countries" and said BA is joining an "increasing number of British companies doing business in Pakistan".

He added: "The links between Britain and Pakistan are already extraordinary, from culture and cricket to people, politics and education.

"I see this launch as a vote of confidence in the future of those links, and of course a reflection of the great improvements in the security situation in Pakistan in recent years.

"The return of British Airways will give a particular boost to our growing trade and investment links."

Next year BA is also launching non-stop long-haul flights to Pittsburgh and Charleston in the US and Osaka in Japan.