Pakistan International Airlines has confirmed the return of direct flights between Lahore and London. The national carrier shared the update on Thursday. PIA announces that the Lahore-London route will resume on March 30. This move marks another step in restoring the airline’s UK operations. A PIA spokesperson said the airline is expanding its flight schedule to the United Kingdom. The decision follows strong passenger demand.
PIA recently resumed flights to Manchester. It also announced Islamabad-London flights starting March 29. The Lahore-London service will follow one day.
According to the spokesperson, these steps show the airline’s readiness to rebuild its international network. Demand from overseas Pakistanis remains high. PIA announces that by the end of March, it plans to operate up to seven weekly flights to the UK. These include services from Islamabad and Lahore.
The airline stated that UK-bound flights are currently running at full capacity. This reflects strong interest from passengers. Many travelers had requested the restoration of direct flights. Overseas Pakistanis in the UK raised these demands for years.
The spokesperson explained that scheduling was based on aircraft availability and operational readiness. Consecutive launch dates helped manage resources. Initially, PIA will operate three weekly flights from Islamabad to London. One weekly flight will operate from Lahore to London.
The airline plans to increase frequencies gradually. It may also add flights to other UK cities in the future. PIA previously operated more than 22 weekly flights to the UK. Officials believe this number may be exceeded again.
Flight operations to Europe were suspended in June 2020. The ban followed safety concerns raised after a tragic air crash. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency imposed restrictions on the PIA. These restrictions remained for over four years.
The ban was lifted on November 28, 2024. This allowed PIA to restart flights to European destinations. In July 2025, the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List. This change allowed Pakistani airlines to apply for UK operations.
PIA received official approval in September 2025. It then resumed flights to Manchester in the first phase. Earlier, PIA had announced plans to restart London flights in March 2026. The airline has now advanced the timeline.
PIA announces that restoring trust and global connectivity remains a key goal. Officials say passenger confidence is improving steadily. Learn more about PIA’s future and challenges in our detailed analysis of its privatisation. Read our full coverage on Deconstructing PIA’s Privatisation Amid Economic Pressure to understand the impact.
