PIA Resumes Flights to UK After Five-Year Suspension

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed direct flights to the United Kingdom after a gap of five years, marking a major step in the national carrier’s gradual return to key international routes.

A PIA spokesperson confirmed that the first flight from Islamabad to Manchester departed at noon on Saturday, marking the airline’s first service to the UK since 2020. The flight will operate twice weekly, with plans to expand to additional UK destinations in the coming months.

The development follows the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s decision earlier this month to issue a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit to PIA, clearing the final administrative hurdle for the airline’s return. Britain lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers in July, nearly five years after grounding them in the wake of the 2020 Karachi air disaster.

The crash of a PIA Airbus A320 in Karachi, which killed 97 people, triggered a global scandal after revelations of widespread irregularities in pilot licensing. The fallout led to flight bans in the United States, the United Kingdom, and across the European Union.

“We have finally planned for the first flight to the UK — Islamabad to Manchester and back — on 25 October 2025, with a weekly frequency of two flights,” Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced earlier this month.

According to the Pakistani high commission in London, the national airline has also secured Third Country Operator (TCO) approval, enabling it to operate within UK airspace. After resuming flights to Manchester, PIA plans to launch services to Birmingham and London in a second phase.

“PIA’s resumption to the UK will facilitate the more than 1.7 million Pakistani diaspora to travel conveniently to Pakistan,” the high commission said in a statement.

The return of PIA flights is expected to boost travel and trade between the two countries. Britain is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with annual bilateral trade valued at around £4.7 billion ($5.7 billion).

PIA’s revival also comes as the government pushes ahead with its privatization program under the terms of a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. The airline, which has relied on repeated government bailouts, has accumulated losses exceeding $2.5 billion over the past decade, becoming a major strain on public finances.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its suspension on PIA in November 2024, allowing flights from Islamabad to Paris earlier this year. Those operations were temporarily halted to prioritize the UK relaunch.

While the airline remains barred from flying to the United States, officials say PIA’s successful return to the UK marks a significant step toward rebuilding confidence in Pakistan’s aviation sector and restoring the carrier’s international credibility.