Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed flights to the United Kingdom after a five-year ban from British skies. The restart of operations is a sign of warming relations and hope that the carrier has undergone reforms.
PIA was barred from the EU and UK skies in June 2020. This move followed a crash in Karachi on 22 May 2020 that took the lives of nearly 100 people and exposed information about pilots operating with fake or questionable licences. According to the investigation, 262 out of 850 PIA pilots held potentially invalid documents. Moreover, it was believed that many did not even take the pilot qualification exam.
After a lapse of 5 years, #PIA resumes its direct flights to the UK 🇵🇰✈️🇬🇧
— PIA (@Official_PIA) October 26, 2025
The inaugural flights left for #Manchester from #Islamabad yesterday and was bidden farewell by Hon. Minister of Defence @KhawajaMAsif and @ukinpakistan @JaneMarriottUK.
Celebrations all around on this… pic.twitter.com/26qc5dvnMk
The ban on the EU was lifted in November 2024 after safety reviews and inspections were successfully completed. This allowed PIA to resume flights to Paris in January 2025. The UK also lifted its restrictions on July 16, 2025, once it determined that aviation safety standards had improved, describing them as “satisfactory and in line with international norms.”
The first flight to mark the return linked Manchester with Islamabad, taking off from the Pakistani capital on 25 October 2025. “The flight to Manchester is a remarkable beginning, but we are firmly determined to start flights to London and Birmingham next,” said Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif during a ceremony held at Islamabad International Airport.
According to Asif, the direct connections are essential for more than 1.4 million Pakistanis in Europe and the UK, explaining that the remittances they drive are of utmost importance for Pakistan’s economy. “Providing them with direct flights is both a moral and national duty,” he noted.
PIA resumes UK flights after over five years, first Islamabad-Manchester service takes off pic.twitter.com/TOtJo6eaux
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) October 25, 2025
It is said that Birmingham will be connected to Islamabad first, while flights to London will be considered depending on demand.
Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in the UK, viewed the resumption of services as a key development that strengthens economic and cultural connections between the two nations.
“This milestone will bring major economic benefits; generating substantial revenue, boosting trade and tourism, and expanding the movement of people and goods,” he said.
PIA heads to Manchester! A genuine joy to wave off the first flight by a Pakistani carrier to the UK in five years. Here’s to more destinations and connections! pic.twitter.com/PLMWmUooFp
— Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) October 25, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation and the diaspora in the UK, saying, “With the grace and blessings of Allah Almighty, Pakistan’s image is being restored across the world.” He noted that even though the suspension had damaged PIA’s reputation, the “journey of improvement in every national institution, through reforms, was progressing at a rapid pace.”
Despite this milestone, PIA is still facing operational difficulties. For years, the carrier has struggled with debt, mismanagement, and regulatory issues. Its fleet has suffered a severe blow – six of its 12 Boeing 777s are grounded indefinitely as a result of financial challenges in obtaining spare parts.
