Flights resume after six-year gap following pilot licence scandal and UK approval
Pakistan International Airlines will resume direct flights to London after a six-year gap, operating four weekly services from Islamabad starting March 29, the national flag carrier announced on Tuesday.
The flights, expected to depart from Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport, mark PIA’s return to its first and most popular international route following the suspension of direct operations in July 2020.
PIA is already operating three weekly flights to Manchester, which resumed on October 25 after a five-year hiatus. The Manchester service initially started with two weekly flights before being increased to three, operating on Saturdays and Tuesdays, the national flag carrier announced on Saturday.
The airline’s return to UK operations follows formal approval from the UK’s Department for Transport in September, allowing PIA to operate as a Third Country Operator for both passenger and cargo flights.
The department issued PIA a five-year ACC3 certification covering flight security and cargo operations, renewing confidence in the airline’s safety protocols and operational standards.
The ban was initially enforced in July 2020 by both UK and European aviation authorities after a major scandal revealed that dozens of Pakistani pilots were operating with fake licences.
Read: PIA to be run by Arif Habib-led consortium by April 2026
The then-aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, admitted to the issue following the tragic crash of a PIA Airbus A-320 in Karachi, which claimed nearly 100 lives.
The fallout from the scandal resulted in bans across the UK, European Union, and United States, costing the loss-making airline approximately Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually in lost revenue. Despite the ongoing ban in the UK, PIA marked a small milestone in January 2025 by resuming direct flights to Europe with a flight from Islamabad to Paris.
The expanded UK operations come as PIA undergoes privatisation. A consortium headed by the Arif Habib Corporation emerged as the top bidder on December 24 in a live-televised auction for a 75% stake in the carrier, offering Rs135 billion — surpassing the government’s reserve price of Rs100 billion. The national airline is expected to be run by a new owner from April 2026
The successful bid marks a turnaround from last year’s failed sale attempt and a breakthrough for the government’s long-delayed privatisation of the national carrier.
