Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced plans to restart direct flights between Lahore and London from March 30, expanding its operations to the United Kingdom after a prolonged suspension.
In a statement issued on Thursday, a PIA spokesperson said the national carrier was steadily increasing its UK services in response to strong passenger demand. The Lahore–London route will be added shortly after the airline launches direct flights from Islamabad to London on March 29.
According to the spokesperson, the airline expects to be operating as many as seven weekly flights to the UK by the end of March. He said the decision to increase frequencies was driven by persistent demand from Pakistani nationals and overseas residents living in Britain.
“All UK-bound flights are currently operating at full capacity,” he noted, adding that demand has remained consistently high.
The Islamabad–London and Lahore–London services were scheduled on consecutive dates to align with operational preparedness and passenger requirements. Under the current plan, PIA will operate three weekly flights from Islamabad to London, while Lahore will initially have one weekly direct service.
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The airline is also exploring options to expand services to other UK cities in the future and plans to gradually increase the number of flights to London. Prior to the suspension, PIA was operating more than 22 weekly flights to the UK and aims to surpass that figure in the coming months.
PIA’s European operations were halted in June 2020 after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency suspended the airline over safety concerns following a crash near Karachi airport that claimed nearly 100 lives. The situation was further compounded by remarks made in parliament by then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan regarding the authenticity of pilots’ licences.
After a review lasting more than four years, the European aviation regulator lifted the ban on November 28, 2024. The UK followed suit in July 2025, removing Pakistan from its Air Safety List and allowing domestic airlines to apply for flight operations.
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PIA received formal approval to resume direct UK flights in September 2025, ending a nearly five-year pause. Manchester services were restored in the first phase, followed by the announcement of London flights.
Two months ago, the airline confirmed it would bring back direct London operations in March 2026, marking the end of a six-year gap in services to the British capital.
