ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced that it will restart direct flights to Manchester, United Kingdom, from October 25, 2025.
The national flag carrier shared the news on its official X account, stating that the flights will “bring loved ones closer once again” by reconnecting Manchester and Islamabad.
The announcement came a day after the Pakistan High Commission in London confirmed that the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had issued the Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit (FOP) — the final clearance required for PIA’s commercial operations.
According to the High Commission, flight operations will first begin with Manchester and later expand to Birmingham and London in the next phase.
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The resumption of flights has been welcomed as a major relief for more than 1.7 million Pakistanis living in the UK.
Last month, PIA also obtained the Third Country Operator (TCO) certification from UK authorities. In addition, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) has granted permanent approval for PIA to operate cargo flights from Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi to Britain.
These permissions, under the UK’s ACC3 aviation security framework, are valid until August 2030.
PIA flights to the UK and Europe had been suspended in July 2020 after the “fake pilot licence scandal.” Pakistan was later added to the UK’s Air Safety List in 2021 due to safety concerns.
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Since then, Pakistani and British aviation authorities have worked together to improve safety standards. In July 2025, the UK’s Air Safety Committee removed Pakistan from the list, allowing its airlines to reapply for flight permissions after a detailed technical review.
Last year, the European Union (EU) also lifted its ban on PIA and other Pakistani operators. Following that, PIA resumed its first direct flight from Islamabad to Paris in January this year.
