British Airways on Tuesday announced it will begin flying direct from Lahore to London Heathrow four days a week, commencing on October 14.

The airline, which resumed flights to Pakistan after more than a decade last year in June, already flies to Islamabad. The carrier first flew to Islamabad in 1976.

According to a statement by the British High Commission Islamabad, flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner called the "first-ever" British Airways flights to Lahore "a sign of confidence in Pakistan and the deepening ties between the two countries".

"I hope it will open up even more opportunities for business links, people-to-people ties and tourism."

Moran Birger, British Airways' head of sales for the Middle East and Asia Pacific, said the new services "will connect two of Pakistan’s biggest cities with London, and offer seamless transfer options to Manchester, the United States and Canada".

"Following the relaunch of services from Islamabad to Heathrow earlier this year, this new flight from Lahore represents our continued investment in Pakistan," added Birger.

Following a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, the airline resumed flight operations to Islamabad in August.

“The resumption of British Airways direct flights is a big boost for the hundreds of thousands of travellers who travel regularly between our two great nations, many who have had their travel plans disrupted by the pandemic," Dr Turner had said at the time.

Last month, it was learnt that British Airways was seeking permission from Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to start operating flights to Lahore, as a team of experts from the airline visited Allama Iqbal International Airport to review arrangements made by the airport management.

The airline had already sought confirmation from the airport management about routine cleaning and precautionary measures against coronavirus for safety of the crew and passengers.