Virgin Atlantic's maiden flight the latest milestone as Pakistan opens to the world

On Friday, a Virgin Atlantic airplane landed at the Islamabad International Airport (IIAP), marking the airline's first-ever flight to Pakistan.

The latest milestone marked a win for both Pakistan and the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister Imran Khan's aide, Sayed Zulfiqar 'Zulfi' Bukhari, terming it a "great new step".

"Pakistan is more connected & open for travel & tourism today than it has been in decades," Zulfi Bukhari wrote on Twitter, welcoming Virgin Atlantic and thanking British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner.

Turner, in his Twitter post, said it was "history made" and "a sign of confidence in Pakistan".

"Our 1.6 million strong Pakistani diaspora in the UK is at the heart of our ties," he added. "18 months ago we had no British airlines flying in Pakistan; today we have over 20 direct flights a week to both Islamabad and Lahore."

Halal food options available

According to Virgin Atlantic, "three routes from Pakistan to the UK", including one from Islamabad to London, another from Islamabad to Manchester, and a third from Lahore to London have been introduced.

The airline said the new routes would "provide vital connectivity for friends and relatives visiting family and loved ones" given that the "UK is home to the largest Pakistani diaspora community in the world, with around 1.6 million people".

Halal food options would be available for the customers, it announced, noting that in addition to passengers' travel, it would "offer a fast, efficient cargo service".

'Monumental effort'

"This will enable growing trade volumes between exporters and importers in both the UK and Pakistan. The UK is the largest export market for Pakistan in Europe, transporting high volumes of goods such as textiles, apparel and machinery," it said.

In this regard, Virgin Atlantic's country manager for South Asia, Alex McEwan, said the company was "thrilled to bring our award-winning service to customers in Pakistan".

"We are confident that passengers will love flying with us on our cutting-edge Boeing 787 Dreamliner to London Heathrow, Manchester and beyond to North America," McEwan added, terming it "a monumental effort".

British Airways arrives in Pakistan

The arrival of Virgin Atlantic seems to be the latest feather in Bukhari's cap, who has been playing a leading role in the government's broader mission to improve Pakistan's image around the world in terms of its general reputation and its business perception.

Read more: Virgin Atlantic's inaugural flight from Manchester to Pakistan lands in Islamabad

Back in June 2019, a British Airways flight carrying 240 passengers had landed at the Islamabad airport, marking the resumption of the airline's operations in Pakistan after 11 years.

Also read: After resumption, British Airways flight lands at Islamabad airport with 240 passengers

The team of people who had facilitated the UK company in resuming its flights from Britain to Pakistan also comprised Bukhari.

Tourism and PTDC

Separately, in terms of tourism — an industry PM Imran Khan has spoken a lot about and that has the potential to take Pakistan to new heights — Bukhari recently broke ground for a five-star hotel in Chitral to ensure provision of quality accommodation and dining facilities to tourists.

Related: Zulfi Bukhari breaks ground for five-star hotel in Chitral

At the time, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) was gearing up to launch several pending initiatives that had been delayed earlier due to the sector's closure in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

'Brand Pakistan'

The PTDC, Bukhari had revealed, had developed "Brand Pakistan" with the help of international experts and would launch it soon to introduce the country as a tourism brand across the world.

"Brand Pakistan", according to Bukhari, has three main components: brand identity development, musical score creation, and an interactive e-portal.

Also read: Govt to launch 'Brand Pakistan' programme this year, says Zulfi Bukhari

An exclusive e-portal will soon be launched to provide world-class exposure to Pakistan's tourist attractions through one click under the project.

"The portal will consist of a user-friendly interface for prospective tourists to interact with and will provide them online connectivity to view Pakistan's tourist sites through virtual galleries, videos and documentaries," the aide had said.

National Tourism Strategy 2020-2030

Bukhari has also been part of the PTI-led government's formulation of the National Tourism Strategy (2020-2030), which will be launched soon.

The 2020-2030 Strategy was meant to develop a harmonised framework for the tourism sector and will focus on four key areas: jobs creation, good governance, tourism demand and supply, and enabling growth.

Related: PM Imran constitutes National Coordination Committee on Tourism

Pakistan is also preparing to host a "World Tourism Forum" next year — 2021 — to showcase the country's tourism potential, attract investment, and build it into an international brand.

The participation of over 1,000 foreign visitors, including investors, companies, tourists and holiday makers is expected.

Read more: Hope for overseas Pakistanis

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