Shaheen Air to kick off UK flight operations next month

Private carrier will offer three services a week to Islamabad Airport from Manchester

Shaheen Air has announced to launch European flights from next month starting with a new service between Manchester Airport and Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport.

The private carrier will offer three services a week to Islamabad Airport starting from March 15 with A330-200 aircraft, Manchester Evening News reported.



“We are proud to announce the return of Shaheen Air to the UK by launching direct flights between Manchester and Islamabad. We are pleased to offer a fantastic service at the lowest fare and maximum baggage allowance of two piece (60kgs),” the newspaper quoted Shaheen Air UK country manager Raza Channa as saying.

Meanwhile, commercial director for Manchester Airport, Stephen Turner, said, “I’m delighted that Manchester Airport has been chosen by Shaheen Air as they resume flights into the UK.”

“Islamabad continues to be a popular destination with 22 million people across our catchment area and this new service will provide them with additional choice for reaching the city, and also connecting around Pakistan, with Shaheen’s extensive network,” the director added.

The development comes a day after the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) published its report over the conduct of Airblue and Shaheen Air, both private carriers, during the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flight operations from October 1-7 2015 and February 2-9, 2016.

In its conclusion, the inquiry committee observed that the increase in airfares was not as exorbitant as alleged rather the increase was merely due to a rise in demand and the normal operation of revenue management system whereby last-minute bookings are charged a higher rate.



Shaheen Air has a fleet of 19 aircraft and currently serves 13 international and seven domestic destinations, and has plans to operate flights to Copenhagen, Oslo, Milan, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok in near future.

This article originally appeared on the Manchester Evening News.