Over the last few weeks, I have been working around the clock with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that all British Citizens can get back to the UK during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. We are getting there, but this is a huge task with so many residents in different countries across the globe. I do know that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are working hard with other governments to ensure that international commercial routes can remain open, and where this is not possible, repatriation flights are taking place.
I am conscious that I do have a number of constituents who are still in Pakistan that need to get back home, so I just wanted to provide an update on the current situation.
On the 9th April, I had a telephone conference call with the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and the British High Commissioner to Islamabad Christian Turner. Since then we have seen over 8,000 people return to the UK from Pakistan on 23 commercial flights operated by PIA. Working through existing commercial options was the most efficient way to get a large number of British nationals back home.
The number of commercial options available from Pakistan to the UK has since narrowed further, and the UK Government has been working to organise a series of special charter flights.
I am now pleased to confirm that the first round of ten special charter flights will start on the 21 April. The first round will consist of seven flights from Islamabad and three from Lahore. There will be flights to London and Manchester from Lahore and Islamabad, all of which will be operated by Qatar Airways.
Important information for those who still need to return home from Pakistan
Flights from Islamabad will be taking place on April 21,22,23,24,25,26 and 27. Booking can take place here Register to book from Islamabad
Flights from Lahore will be taking place on April 22, 24, 26. Booking can take place here Register to book from Lahore
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will consider future flights from Karachi if there is sufficient demand.
If you, or your family or friends wish to return to the UK on these flights, you will need to visit the Pakistan Travel Advice page where you will find links to the relevant registration portals run by CTM, a travel management company who are working on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. You will require the following information to make a booking:
- Full passport and contact details for each traveller registering;
- Their UK home address and postcode;
- Their means of payment, such as credit or debit card details.
Where flights are full, you will be able to register online and will be placed on a waitlist for future flights. You will not be asked to pay at this point. Once on the waitlist, you do not need to re-register. CTM will contact people as they are allocated to flights to ask them for payment by a set deadline.
It is important to note that if you do not meet the payment deadline, your provisionally allocated seat will be transferred to someone else on the waitlist to make sure that passenger manifests and travel arrangements are completed in time for full flights to leave, wherever possible. In these cases, those who did not pay on time will remain on the waitlist and be contacted again when further flights are available.
If you have difficulty booking online, you can send an SMS text message containing only your full name to +44 (0) 786 009 3013 and someone from the CTM booking team will get in touch to assist you. More detail is available here.
The flight costs will be £527 per passenger (except those under two years old). Financial assistance is available through an Undertaking to Repay provision for those who are unable to pay for their ticket and have explored all other options for getting funds. These loans are only for the most at risk, vulnerable people and those who have no way of paying for their flight back to the UK. Tickets from cancelled commercial flights are not transferable to charter flights. However, we are lobbying airlines to ensure that those not using return tickets are refunded.
Screening measures are in place at airports in Pakistan, and passengers will be reminded upon arrival in the UK of their obligations in accordance with PHE guidance.
I am working hard to help all from the constituency to get home as soon as possible, so I hope the above information is useful. If I can be of any assistance to your individual case, please do contact me on [email protected]
