SINGAPORE, 9 October 2025: Pakistan International Airlines has confirmed it will resume flights to the UK after a five-year pause due to safety restrictions imposed by the UK government.
Arab News reported that the decision to resume flights between the Pakistan capital, Islamabad and Manchester, UK, “came hours after the UK Civil Aviation Authority issued a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit to PIA and cleared the final administrative hurdle for the carrier to resume flights to Britain.”
The airline’s Facebook page confirms that it will deploy a Boeing 777-200ER with 321 seats on the service to Manchester, UK, which resumes on 25 October. The airline plans to fly the route twice weekly on Tuesday and Saturday. Bookings are already open on the PIA website. The airline quotes a return fare of USD836.76.
It’s Facebook post announced: “The wait is over! Pakistan International Airlines proudly reconnects Islamabad and Manchester, bringing hearts, homes, and horizons closer once again.”
Flight schedule
PK701 departs Islamabad (ISB) at 1220 and arrives in Manchester (MAN) at 1600
PK702 departs Manchester (MAN) at 1800 and arrives in Islamabad (ISB) at 0650, plus a day.
(online schedules data)
Britain lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers in July 2025, nearly half a decade since grounding them following a 2020 PIA Airbus A320 crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. The disaster was followed by claims of irregularities in pilot licensing, which led to bans in the US, the UK, and the European Union, Arab News reported.
After resuming flight operations to Manchester, the airline intends to add flights to Birmingham and London in the near future.
