| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 17/04/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 29 |
| Copyright: Other |
PIA launches first service from UK to New York
Report by PAULNORRIS
Report by PAULNORRIS
PAKISTANInternational Airlines has started its first flights from the UK to NewYork.The five-weekly services are an extension of flights from Pakistan to Manchester. The services, which began yesterday, will operate to the US on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and twice daily on Saturdays.
PIA will target northwest business passengers with the New York flights. The carrier will also market the route to leisure clients in Manchester.
A spokesman claimed the timings for the US services from Manchester made PIA an attractive alternative to established transatlantic airlines.
The five Manchester-New York services are onward services from some of the nine-weekly flights from Pakistan to the northwest. PIA will face tough competition on the New York route from British Airways, Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Its ability to get support from ethnic traffic in Manchester will be crucial.
Under international ‘fifth freedom’ rules, a foreign airline can apply to fly to a second country as part of a single flight.
In the UK, carriers can apply to continue flights from the main long-haul airports at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.
PIA’s launch to New York comes two months before Olympic Airways starts a thrice-weekly Athens-Manchester-Boston service on June 19.
But a bid by Singapore Airlines to extend its Singapore-Heathrow route to the US has been blocked by the UK Government until a new open-skies agreement between London and Washington is agreed.