PIA to increase London flights to seven per week from October 27

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to increase its flight operations to London, with seven weekly flights scheduled from October 27.

According to a PIA spokesperson, five of the weekly flights will operate from Islamabad, while two will depart from Lahore.

The national flag carrier currently operates four weekly flights to London. The increase in frequency has been planned in response to growing passenger demand and reflects increased confidence in the airline’s operations, the spokesperson said.

The expanded schedule will provide overseas Pakistanis and other travellers with more options while improving direct air connectivity between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

PIA’s direct flights to the UK were suspended after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposed a ban on the airline’s operations in EU countries in June 2020 following the Karachi plane crash that killed nearly 100 people.

The ban followed then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s statement in parliament that around 40 per cent of Pakistani pilots held “dubious” licences, raising serious concerns over aviation safety standards.

After more than four years, EASA lifted the ban on PIA in November 2024.

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The UK later removed Pakistan from its air safety list in July 2025, paving the way for Pakistani airlines to seek approval to resume direct flights to Britain.

PIA received approval in September 2025 to resume direct services to the UK after a nearly five-year suspension and restarted direct London flights in March.

The latest increase in flight frequency is expected to further strengthen air links between Pakistan and the UK and facilitate the large Pakistani diaspora travelling between the two countries.