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BAs to use smaller plane on Islamabad-London route, skip Manchester

MEHMUD AHMED

ISLAMABAD: The British Airways is to ply a smaller aircraft on its Islamabad-London flight and also eliminating Manchester from the route from the end of this month, the Airline sources said here on Friday.

The last flight to operate with the present equipment - Jumbo of 400 series - will be on March 27 and also the last to operate to London via Manchester.

After that the Airlines will introduce B-777 with a capacity of 14 in the first class, 55 in the club and 195 in the economy.

The British flag carrier operates on thrice weekly basis on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving in the early hours and returning shortly later.

The downgrading of the equipment and shortening of the route has been ascribed by reliable persons of the carrier to a cut-throat price competition that it fielded from other carriers which except the PIA operated to London through intermediate points.

The travel agencies agree with reasons given by the British Airways for down-scaling of their flight. They say the national carrier of Pakistan has to share the responsibility as it instead of intervening to curb the lowering of prices it had "hunted with the hounds".

The British Airways had limited its operation in Pakistan to the Federal Capital and until the price run was happy with the traffic flow. Most of it was from the Azad Kashmir as the "Mirpuris" and "Pindiites", as they are identified now, live in and around Manchester and the industrial town of Bradford and this flight suited them well until the recent price-war gave new options.

It is yet not known if the Pakistan International Airlines will be required to trim its route in reciprocity and terminate at London. If that happens it will lower their income also as they will have to share a pro-rated part of their price with the local carriers.