If only it is really that simple Landflap

Looks like the fleet is embarking on an adventure to Pakistan from December. That'll be nice.....

December is 14 weeks away.
Great that the DKCM deal has been approved for VS, unfortunately unless revenue picks up for all, a lot more of us will be squawking UB40 by then.
Not one legacy carrier is safe in the current environment.

Direct compo with BA as they've just announce LHR-Lahore. Whoever provides the better product will win the hearts and minds of the Pakistani community. I know most Pakistanis are fed up of PIA so it could work. :uhoh:

Especially as they can get a drink onboard!

macdo

Nicer than the dole queue!

PIA banned from European Airspace pending clearing up their licensing issues for crews.
A Turkish Carrier already has the contract with PIA to carry their passengers in and out of Pakistan and Europe through Turkey.
It’ll only be a temporary arrangement until things get smoothed out.

BBK

With a heavy heart I suppose I have to agree since I'm on the dole queue. But even if I saw this as means of staving off the UB40, I would still not be thrilled to be rostered to a destination where security is so very questionable. It is a sign of management desperation that they now find the unacceptable to be acceptable. Truly hope that it works out OK for V staff.

macdo sorry to hear about your situation. There are pretty secure areas/Hotels in Lahore with robust security arrangements. Once in the Hotel crews will stay inside either for security, or these days CV19 reasons. Nothing different from say Lagos. As for Pakistan go on you tube and look for a guy called Peter Santenello.

What evidence do you have that previously Virgin management considered this route unacceptable due security concerns but are now so ‘desperate’ that they’re willing to compromise - as per your insinuation?

Perfectly reasonable question.
Virgin has been talking about running Pakistan flights since 2007, but hasn't done so, in spite of a growing year round demand for such flights from the UK. So, ignoring a growth market.
BA only resumed flights to Pakistan at the end of 2018 having earlier binned them for security concerns. Still Virgin didn't enter the market.
Virgin are naturally desperate to operate and start rebuilding from the effects of covid19. So they choose now to start a route to a country where the UK government still advises against non essential travel.
PIA is currently on a ban and using HiFly to fill in. Well, that is a reasonable opportunistic reason to start.
Whilst I am sure a risk assessment has been done, having crew on the ground in Pakistan carries more risk than it does for, say New York, even allowing for 'secure zone' hotac. Why would you send your aircraft and crew to a destination that needed secure accommodation unless you had to? Or have had to take a different view of the assessment for commercial reasons?
I am not on the BoD of Virgin, but I can join dots.
Do you have evidence to the contrary?

Today's D Telegraph

The £1.2B rescue package only yielded £370m in cash for the business.
Everyone needs significantly more revenue to survive, everyone, no exceptions.

1150, with room for another 600
to be made redundant

Virgin have sold their training base near Gatwick, and will stay there until 2021, does anyone know what then? It’s quite a big operation to be moved if it includes SEP hall etc.

https://www.crawleyobserver.co.uk/bu...rawley-2961930

Will probally relocate to the Heathrow area .They've got to make it to 2021 first.

G-VDOT Airbus A350-1041 (Ruby Tuesday) was delivered to Manchester today.

New, but actually four years old!

Things coming to a head with refunds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54659141

Not 'Ruby Tuesday', but 'Ruby Slipper'.

Recycled 3rd prototype A35K.