Pakistan International Airlines resumes 2nd London Heathrow route with flights from Lahore
January 10, 2026
Pakistan International Airlines has announced that it will be resuming its Lahore to London Heathrow route from March 2026. The service will begin operating once weekly, complementing its already-planned resumption of the Islamabad route which will fly three times per week with a Boeing 777.
The announcement comes as part of the carrier’s gradual return to European skies after its ban was lifted by the EU and UK aviation authorities last year. Flights to the United Kingdom were reportedly among its most profitable routes before it was banned in 2020.
The services cater primarily to the considerable Pakistani diaspora that lives in England, particularly in London and the surrounding areas. This also explains its decision to resume flights between Manchester and Islamabad in October last year.
Resumption of flights from Lahore
As revealed in Aerospace Global News’ weekly long-haul schedule update on Saturday, PIA has scheduled its return to the Lahore-London Heathrow route from March 2026. In a statement, the carrier said that the route would begin on 30 March, one day after the resumption of its Islamabad-London flights.
PIA’s London Heathrow to Lahore flight
| Day | Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival |
| Sunday | PK758 | London Heathrow – Lahore | 19:05 | 07:05 (+1) |
| Monday | PK757 | Lahore – London Heathrow | 12:40 | 17:00 |
The airline’s Islamabad flight on Sunday arrives in Heathrow at 16:55 local time. The plane will then operate to Lahore and back, before departing back to Islamabad at 18:55 on Sunday.
Including its Manchester flights which operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, it will have a total of seven weekly frequencies to the United Kingdom from the end of March.
A spokesperson cited by local media confirmed that the carrier’s current flights to the Manchester are “operating on full loads” with additional growth anticipated in the future.
It hopes to exceed the 22 weekly frequencies that it flew prior to the ban. Previously, its network also included Birmingham.
PIA’s UK operation in summer 2019
| UK origin | Destination | Weekly frequency |
| Birmingham | Islamabad | 3 |
| London Heathrow | Islamabad | 5 |
| Karachi | 2 | |
| Lahore | 3 | |
| Manchester | Islamabad | 7 |
| Lahore | 2 |
PIA flew from Islamabad and Lahore to Paris, but not for long
PIA also resumed service to Paris Charles de Gaulle last year, though the return was not completely smooth sailing. It initially announced flights from Islamabad, which continue to operate twice-weekly.
It also began a connection from Lahore – which was cut just two months later. A spokesperson said that it was a temporary suspension as it prioritised its planned UK return.
The company also admitted that it was facing low loads on the service.
Outside of Paris and the United Kingdom, PIA used to fly to Barcelona (from Islamabad and Sialkot), Copenhagen (from Lahore) and Oslo (from Islamabad).
PIA’s privatisation plan is also underway
Last month it emerged that Pakistan International Airlines’ privatisation process would move into open auction between the two highest bidders. The government has opened bids for a majority, 75% stake in the company.
PIA recorded its first annual profit in Fiscal Year 2024 for the first time in more than two decades.
As it stands, a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation had the highest bid at PKR115 billion ($410 million), while another group led by Lucky Cement offered PKR101.5 billion ($360 million). Competitior AirBlue submitted a bid of PKR26.5 billion ($94 million).
Under new ownership, the carrier’s route network might also be impacted. A focus on commercial indicators rather than political motives is expected to shape the airline’s strategy, though routes to the United Kingdom will likely remain given high demand levels.
Featured image: Mario Hagan / stock.adobe.com
