ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will increase its flights to London to seven a week from October 27, the airline’s spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Under the expanded schedule, five flights will operate from Islamabad and two from Lahore. PIA currently operates four weekly flights between Pakistan and London.
The spokesperson said the increase was driven by growing passenger confidence and higher demand for the London route.
PIA resumed direct flights to London Heathrow in late March 2026 after a six-year suspension. The service had been suspended following the crash of a PIA aircraft in Karachi in May 2020, which killed 97 people, and subsequent concerns over pilot licensing standards.
The airline’s return to the route was made possible after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its ban on Pakistani airlines in November 2024 and the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List in July 2025, clearing the way for Pakistani carriers to resume flights to the UK and Europe.
London was PIA’s first international destination and remains one of its key routes. Before the suspension, the airline operated up to 10 weekly flights between Pakistan and London.
ALSO READ >>> >>> Punjab boards announce Class 9 annual exam results 2026
The service restarted with three weekly flights from Islamabad and one from Lahore, using Boeing 777 aircraft and operating from Heathrow Terminal 4. PIA had earlier resumed flights to Manchester in October 2025.
The London route serves a large Pakistani community in the UK, which is estimated at more than 1.6 million people.
PIA was partially privatised in December 2025 after a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation acquired a 75 per cent stake in the airline.
