January 11, 2008
BANGKOK - Thai Airways International said Friday it would cut flights to Pakistan as demand has fallen amid political unrest following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
Thailand’s flag carrier will reduce its services from Bangkok to Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city, to five flights per week from the current seven, said an airline official, who declined to be named.
"Since the assassination, demand was down as travellers were concerned about political unrest," the official said, adding the change would be effective from January 15.
But Thai Airways said there would be no change in its flights to Islamabad and Karachi, according to AFP.
The airline operates three flights per week from the Thai capital to Islamabad and four flights to Karachi.
The assassination of Bhutto on December 27 sparked a wave of bloody rioting in Pakistan and forced general elections to be postponed by six weeks until February 18.
