UK announces chartered flights for repatriating citizens from Pakistan

LONDON: British government has announced the commencement of chartered flights from April 21 to repatriate citizens from Pakistan, ARY News reported on Friday.

The special flights will be operated from Islamabad and Lahore to London and Manchester to bring back 2,500 British citizens, whereas, each passenger will be charged 527 British pounds.

The United Kingdom (UK) government asked citizens staying in Pakistan to book their tickets from the official website. British MP Lord Tariq Ahmad thanked British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner for his efforts to make arrangements for the special flights.

Earlier on April 15, British High Commissioner Christian Turner had announced that the UK government will commence a series of chartered flights from the next week to bring around 7,500 citizens back home.

Before the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) daily flights to the UK, 7,758 British citizens had been departed home through 22 flights during nine days since April 4, said Turner.

The high commissioner said that British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab agreed to operate a series of chartered flights to repatriate UK citizens from Pakistan. The British authorities will also settle the matters related to the repatriation process besides providing financial assistance to its citizens, he added.

On April 9, Pakistan had extended its ban on all flight operations besides barring chartered and private planes till April 21 due to coronavirus pandemic.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had notified the extension for the closure of all kind of flight operations including domestic and international following the orders of the federal government.