Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has restarted its direct flights to London after a gap of six years. The first flight, PK-785, left from Islamabad on Sunday with 325 passengers on board. At Islamabad Airport, Secretary Defence Lieutenant General (retd) Muhammad Ali and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott were present to see off the inaugural flight.
The ceremony was also attended by PIA Consortium Chairman Arif Habib and other senior aviation officials. A cake was cut to celebrate the occasion, and a lucky draw was held in which one passenger won a 660cc car. Other passengers were also given special gifts to mark the launch of the flight.
Speaking at the ceremony, Muhammad Ali said the restart of direct flights would help strengthen relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Jane Marriott also congratulated PIA on restoring its London flights.
PIA said it wants to provide easier travel for more than 1.6 million overseas Pakistanis living in the UK. During the event, the airline’s CEO presented commemorative shields to the guests of honour.
The national airline is also planning to start weekly flights from Lahore to London from March 30. In the beginning, PIA will operate four flights every week between Pakistan and London, including three from Islamabad and one from Lahore.
London was the first international destination for PIA, and the airline has a 71-year history with this route. Meanwhile, a special ceremony has also been arranged at Heathrow Airport in London to welcome the flight. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Mohammad Faisal, will receive the aircraft and also see off passengers on the first return flight.
PIA had stopped its UK operations after the Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in May 2020, in which 97 people lost their lives. After the accident and concerns about pilot licences, UK and European authorities had imposed restrictions on the airline. However, PIA returned to the UK in October 2025 with flights to Manchester, and now it is slowly expanding its operations again.
