INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Islamabad's new airport opened this year
British Airways is to restart
flights to Pakistan next year, more than 10 years after it halted services following a major hotel bombing.The airline stopped flying to the
country after the Marriott hotel in the capital, Islamabad, was bombed in 2008, killing more than 50 people.BA will be the first Western
airline to resume services to the country
A new airport was opened recently in Islamabad, which has eased concerns about both security and congestion.The attack on the Marriott was
one of the most high-profile attacks in Pakistan's history.Thomas Drew, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, said BA's return was a
"reflection of the great improvements" in security.BA's 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."More than a million people of Pakistani origin live in the UK
BA, which is owned by airline group IAG, aims to run three flights a week, starting on 2 June.Currently, Pakistan's PIA is the only airline
to run direct flights from Pakistan to Britain.
