The airline company's last flight will take off from Karachi for Hong Kong on June 29. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said on Tuesday it would be suspending flights to Pakistan effective June 29, in what is a major blow for Pakistan's already fragile aviation sector.
The airline did not state the specific reason behind their decision but its representatives based here say the move comes in wake of the attack on the Karachi airport on June 8.
"This is, indeed, very sad," said an official who markets the airline in Pakistan. "This was the only big carrier of the far eastern origin coming to our country."
Cathay Pacific started flights to Pakistan in September 2000. It did suspend operation once before for three months when US-led Nato forces attacked Afghanistan.
It operates four weekly flights to Karachi from Hong Kong and Bangkok.
The airline's local representative said that the decision to stop the flights was purely commercial.
"It's no longer viable to come here after the start of latest offensive against terrorists. The insurance premiums have shot up, making it very hard to meet the cost."
No one from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was immediately available to comment on the matter.
Leading airlines including British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Malaysian Airlines have scaled back their operations since 2008 in part due to concerns related to security of their employees.
British Airways, one of the finest airlines that came to Pakistani cities, suspended operation following a deadly attack on Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel in 2008.
Only 19 foreign carriers come to Pakistan. Other than the airlines originating from Gulf countries, the only notable carrier was Cathay Pacific, officials say.
Cathay said in a statement on its website it would operate 14 more flights to and from Karachi before operations cease.
"This is to avoid disruptions for the hundreds of passengers who will be travelling prior to the holy month of Ramadan," it said.
Cathay Pacific's last flight will take off from Karachi for Hong Kong on June 29.
COMMENTS (46)
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@Pavan: and don't bet too much on the saudi brother too. Emirates is already curtailed flights to Peshawar. May stop operations totally any time.
@goggi (Lahore): @Aamir Ali: 67 years is never a time period to declare any thing.. Let the Indians throw you with their Chicken roasting, snake biting theories, while their own country engulfs in "saffronization". Focus on the issues in hand. Nations are made of Individuals. Let us do what we can do the best. Sometimes "isolation" is better. Europe blamed Germany for the WW1 and tried to isolate them. Then we all know what happend. China was isolated since centuries. Its a different story today..
The dream of TTP and their partners will never ever come true to isolate Pakistan.
Adversity has its advantages. Unknowingly you made competition vanish! If handled well this may become the Turning Point for PIA. Shakespeare:There is a tide in the affairs of men.//Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune!
@Ibrahim khaleel: Also 2 non-stop Ultra Long Haul flights daily from Mumbai to Newark.
Soon only airline that will land and take off from Pakistan will be PIA. Even Emirates and Etihad dont let their crew actually spend the night in Pakistan! They are told to stay on board while the plane gets refueled and passengers are disembarked or on-boarded. Shabash Pakistan.
@Karima Shah:
The day a country becomes used to being called a basket-case country, it loses all respect in the international community. When you were training terrorists to kill our soliders in Kashmir, then you did not care about consequences. Now that the chickens have come home to roost, your state is falling apart and with it your reputation has nose dived which is why the airlines cannot take a risk with sending their staff to your country. Soon only your beloved Saudi "brothers" will be flying to Pakistan,
@Karima Shah:
The old Pakistan you talk about is long gone. Today's Pakistan consists of every Pakistani trying to cheat and outwit the other Pakistani, every one trying to get to a position of power not to help others or serve the nation but rather to steal as much money as possible and then retire to some foreign country and enjoy their ill-gotten wealth. Society has decayed from top to bottom, so you cannot blame anyone but every Pakistani, whether they are young or old, as all of us have had a role in killing this country off. On a lighter note, I find it amusing to hear about the polio drops you mentioned, I totally forgot that we have to get drops and a certificate before we can leave the country! Again, this is another demonstration of how we are all used to accepting everything thrown at us, as we ourselves know how much we have fallen as a country and as citizens.
@Dr Priyanka: Cathay is a 5-star airline according to SkyTrax. Maybe she traveled PIA?
@Karima Shah: The today´s generation is reaping what the preceding generations sowed. You know what it is? Hatred for humans!
A country whose foundation was laid with human hatred and violence, is in the process of committing mass suicides.........nationwide!
People re looking forward to a safe environment to do business, not to come and be blown. Provide this and they will follow.After all, all are interested in making money and that includes the Chinese who are more shrewd than many others.
@Mirza: Can you threaten them with weapons and nuclear arms if they do not fly! Of what use are weapons when others refuse to come or meet.
@Aamir: You are right but the fangs are removed and then worshipped!
Argh! No! Dont go! Come back! Come back after things have settled? This is another blow. Cathay Pacific is a good airline. I hope they return along with more airlines.
Good riddance of chinky scum. We are a land of brave warriors and we don't want cowards flying here. Our PIA is enough :)
@karima Shah i have to respond to you.
72, hmmmm you must have done a terrible wrong to this country to have reached to this stage! cause 20 year old certianly cant bring the country to the stage where it is today!!
You know, I remember the golden days when Pakistan had all the top airlines coming here. Now no one wants to come to this country, and Pakistanis have to go to Dubai before they can get a decent connection to a foreign country. I am 72 years old and probably reaching the end of my days on this earth, but I feel so sad to see the amount of difficulties and obstacles the young people of Pakistan have to face. When Pakistanis travel overseas, they are not welcomed but rather scrutinized and made to feel like criminals, and we are considered a no-go country for tourists and visitors, let alone international business and airlines. This is the depth to which we have fallen and its painful to see how we shrug our shoulders and keep accepting new lows, such as polio drops at airports. I dont blame international airlines for not wanting to come to our country, we have driven away all our friends, and literally ripped our country apart.
look at the bright side. this is a golden chance for PIA to become profitable (if they avoid the perils of monopoly).
Roashan Pakistan, as promised by PML-N
@T: Indians will be most happy and celebrate if you crush these terrorists. Do it at earliest possible time.
Unfortunately it is beginning of the end. No reputable airline would endanger their staff and reputation in the hub of terrorism. Pakistan can be a safe haven for terrorists or peaceful businesses. We have constantly chosen brutal fanatic terrorists over our future. While commercial airliners are going to Asian countries directly from North America and Europe we are completely isolated and dependent upon Middle Eastern brothers.
@T: I remember the crush India bumper stickers in 1971. We know how things turned out.
@T keep telling lies. No on in the world believe your country's words about india.
@Aamir:
The snakes following laws of nature are different from the snakes that you created. The natural snake hunts only when hungry and bites only when threatened. I'm proud to be from a culture that treats its animals right, unlike one that treats neither animals or humans right.
Look at it this way- when you are in deep doldrums , meloncholy , depression, failure , loss , all things negative , then the only way out is UP.
@ajeet: what rubbish are you talking about? it is in YOUR religion to give milk to the snakes anyway!
The soon to be formed Caliphate Airlines will make these foreign carriers redundant anyway. Fly Caliphate Today - On a Wing & a Prayer.
On the bright side, if we're talking about "major" airlines, to be honest, you really can't trump the Middle Eastern ones anymore.
Cathay said in a statement on its website it would operate 14 more flights to and from Karachi before operations cease. So clearly this is a temporary safety measure against the fallout from the operation in Tribal N. Waziristan.
@T:
If these are Indian/foreign-sponsored scum then why is your dear leader IK (and till recently, the govt) so eager to have peace talks with them in the first place? Wouldn't that be giving up your sovereignty and mean that IK is guilty of treason? You're confused, lost and looking for someone to blame but yourself. With this kind of attitude, no wonder we're so down the gutter.
P.S. Yes, I am a Pakistani
Latest news is that PIA is thinking of suspending flight to and from Karachi.
@T, There are millions waiting in Pakistan/ Afghanistan madrassas, kill the idea of terrorism not just the terrorists.
@T: Like you crushed that guy in Swat that later became chief of TTP. Like you crushed that other guy in Islamabad that tried to escape in Burqa, now back and roaring.
So Sweet-as-Honey friend is not so sweet anymore.
The inhuman and misanthropic religious movements in Pakistan demand self understood total distance from our country.
Although in north Waziristan there is full war going against the bearded jihadist still another bearded man in Lahore instigate nationwide religious riots.
For the foreigners there is Zero difference between the TTP, the fanatic followers of this clergy from Jhang or the large mobs which burn homes of non muslims and kill them.
@sh(india): We all know that the terrorists were supported by your country and this was your objective, we will crush thèse sponsored thugs like we did in Swat.
This is the start of pakistan isolation around the world.
Soon we will only be travelling to Dubai in Air Arabia or our not-so-beloved PIA, and than go forward from there. Le sigh!
You never know... Their insurers might have refused to insure them against terrorism in high-risk countries. Clearly, Pakistan is one. If they won't receive cover (or if they would end up paying a lot of money in premiums to get that cover), they'll have no choice but to suspend their operations.
Lesson1: Never feed snake thinking that it will only bite neighbours.
TTP achieved what they wanted to achieve... No major airline is willing to come to Pakistan except few Middle Eastern airlines...
This is what the intended target of the foreign sponsored terror scums was. Bulls' eye! More to follow..