PIA to resume direct flights to London after 6 years

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume its direct flights to London in March 2026 after nearly six years, the airline announced on Tuesday.

According to PIA, the national flag carrier is expanding its operations to the United Kingdom and will begin four weekly flights from Islamabad to London starting March 29, 2026. The flights will land at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4.

A spokesperson for the airline said that the London route holds special significance for PIA, as it was the airline’s first international destination and continues to be among its key overseas routes. He added that PIA is already operating three flights a week to Manchester.

PIA’s flights to Europe were halted in June 2020 after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency suspended the airline’s operations over safety concerns. The move followed a deadly crash of a PIA aircraft near Karachi airport and a statement by the then aviation minister, who told parliament that a number of pilots held questionable licences.

The European aviation regulator lifted its ban on PIA in November 2024 after more than four years. Further progress came in July 2025, when the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, paving the way for Pakistani airlines to resume flight operations to Britain.