British Airways on Monday resumed flight operations to Pakistan, over a decade after they were suspended in 2008 following a terrorist attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, reported Dawn.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed from Heathrow in London with 240 passengers on board and landed at Islamabad International Airport at 9.15 am on Monday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner then departed for Heathrow at 11.10 am with passengers from Islamabad.

British Airways will now fly three times a week from London to Islamabad, the airline’s website said.

Pakistan’s Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, and Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari greeted the passengers on their arrival at the airport. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew was also present.

“The resumption of flight operation of British Airways is great,” Dawn quoted Drew as saying. “Today is a good day for both Pakistan and Britain and we are also happy about the better security situation in the country.”

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development also welcomed the move and posted a video on Twitter.

There was increased security when the flight arrived, with more than 600 police, Quick Response Force teams and snipers.

Until Monday, national carrier Pakistan International Airlines was the only one to operate flights between Pakistan and Britain.

In December 2018, British Airways had announced the resumption of flight operations between the United Kingdom and Islamabad. It had said the new airport in Islamabad had reportedly eased concerns about both security and congestion.

British Airways had suspended its operations in the country shortly after the September 20, 2008 terror attack in Islamabad, where a bomb was detonated in a dumper truck outside the Marriott Hotel. Fifty-four people were killed and more than 250 people injured in the blast.