KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on Monday got permission from the United Kingdom to operate two additional flights to Britain ahead of April 09 when it will ban entry of people arriving from four countries, including Pakistan.

From 4 a.m. on April 9, Pakistan, Kenya, the Philippines and Bangladesh will be put on a red list, the UK government said on Friday, joining about three dozen other nations mainly in Africa, the Middle East and South America.

“The first additional flight will depart from Islamabad to Manchester on April 7 at 2.30 pm,” PIA said in a statement. "All passengers who have not yet been able to get tickets should contact PIA offices immediately. PIA booking offices will be open till 10 pm tonight (Monday).”

On Monday, a PIA spokesperson told Arab News the airline had requested the UK government to allow four additional flights to Britain ahead of April 09.

“People are desperately trying to go back to the UK before April 9, we have requested four additional flights to the UK, and we sincerely hope that we will get permission by today or tomorrow,” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said.

“By now we have operated three flights and we have transported nearly 900 passengers [to the UK],” Khan said, adding that PIA planned to operate four more flights to the UK until April 7. “We are hopeful to accommodate 1,000 more passengers.”

He said PIA would be able to take another 1,000 passengers to the UK if its government allowed the four additional flights.

British Pakistanis form one of the largest expat communities in the UK. Days before the start of Ramadan, when many British Pakistanis travel to be with their families for the holy month and Eid, travelers from Pakistan have been told they will be denied entry and have to pay for expensive 10-day UK hotel quarantine at designated sites.

Pakistan’s planning minister, Asad Umar, last week said the UK government’s decision to ban the entry of Pakistanis was based on politics, not science.

“Every country has a right to take decisions to safeguard the health of their citizens,” Umar said. “However, the recent decision by UK government to add some countries including Pakistan on the red list raises legitimate questions whether choice of countries is based on science or foreign policy.”