KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday announced a significant expansion of its London operations, increasing weekly flights from four to seven starting October 27, marking a major milestone in the national carrier’s recovery since the lifting of a nearly five-year ban on UK operations.
365 days. 365 flights. Countless reasons to come home to your loved ones.
From 27 October 2026, fly daily between London & Pakistan.#PIA #londontoPakistan #Pakistantolondon #UKDiaries #DailyFlights #everyone #FlyPIA #followers #Booknow #Travelwithus #unitedkingdom pic.twitter.com/wGrdBDWDUS
— PIA (@Official_PIA) September 2, 2026
Under the new schedule, five flights would depart from Islamabad while two would operate on the Lahore-London route, the airline said in a statement. “The increase in the number of flights reflects passenger confidence and rising demand,” the statement added, highlighting the growing appetite for travel between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
The expansion comes less than a year after PIA resumed direct flights to the UK following a prolonged suspension that had severely hampered the airline’s international operations and passenger connectivity. Pakistani flights had been banned from flying to the European Union, the United Kingdom and the US in June 2020, after one of its aircraft crashed in Karachi, killing nearly 100 people on board.
The European Union Air Safety Agency had barred PIA from operating in EU countries over safety concerns, and the ban on flights followed then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s statement on the floor of parliament, where he termed pilots’ licences “dubious”.
PIA will increase flights between Pakistan and London from four to seven weekly, with five flights from Islamabad and two from Lahore, offering passengers greater travel options.#PIA #Pakistan #LondonFlights #Aviation #PakistanTV pic.twitter.com/D4wdbAVOjm
— Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) September 2, 2026
The European agency lifted the ban after more than four years on November 28, 2024. In July 2025, the UK also removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to operate flights in Britain. In September 2025, PIA received approval to resume direct flights to the UK after a gap of nearly five years, with Manchester becoming the first destination. In March this year, PIA also resumed direct flights to London, and the latest increase in frequency underscores the airline’s growing confidence in the route’s viability.
Read Also: PIA Signs Cargo Partnership With Air France–KLM to Boost Exports
The decision to ramp up London services is expected to provide greater convenience to the large Pakistani diaspora in the UK, particularly during peak travel seasons. With Islamabad and Lahore emerging as the primary hubs for these operations, the increased frequency is also likely to boost business and tourism links between the two countries.
PIA’s management has indicated that further route expansions may be considered if passenger demand continues to rise, as the airline looks to rebuild its international footprint and restore its reputation as a reliable carrier.
