KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed its weekly flights to the United Kingdom on Saturday, marking the end of a five-year suspension.
The inaugural flight departed from Islamabad to Manchester carrying 284 passengers, following the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s approval of PIA’s Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit — the final step required to restore operations.
Initially, PIA will operate two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with plans to expand the route network to London and Birmingham in the coming months.
The airline’s services to the UK were halted in 2020 after a PIA Airbus A320 crash in Karachi that claimed 97 lives, leading to global scrutiny over Pakistan’s pilot licensing and safety standards. The ensuing bans by the UK, EU, and US were linked to regulatory and safety concerns.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif attended the relaunch ceremony at Islamabad International Airport, where he directed PIA to enhance service quality and improve flight schedules.
According to a PIA spokesperson, the resumption of direct flights fulfills a longstanding demand from over 1.6 million Pakistanis residing in the UK who had sought improved travel connectivity.
The move follows the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s decision in late 2024 to lift its suspension on PIA, allowing flights to Paris and later to resume operations from Lahore. Those services were briefly paused to prioritize the UK relaunch.
Although flights to the United States remain suspended, the reopening of the UK route reflects renewed international confidence in PIA and Pakistan’s aviation oversight.
With Britain being Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner — with bilateral trade valued at approximately £4.7 billion (US$5.7 billion) — the resumption of flights is expected to strengthen people-to-people links, trade, and economic cooperation between the two countries.
