PIA Manchester Flights: Direct Lahore-Manchester service resumes after six years
Pakistan International Airlines has restarted direct flights between Lahore and Manchester, marking another step in restoring its international operations after the lifting of UK aviation restrictions.
PIA resumes direct Lahore-Manchester flights after a six-year suspension.
PIA Manchester Flights have resumed after a six-year suspension, with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operating its first direct flight from Lahore to Manchester on Thursday.
According to PIA, flight PK-709 departed from Lahore with 325 passengers on board. The airline held an inaugural ceremony at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, where PIA Chief Operating Officer Khurram Mushtaq bid farewell to passengers before departure.
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The restart came hours after the first return flight from #Manchester departed for Lahore on Wednesday night.
PIA said restoring the Lahore-Manchester route would strengthen people-to-people connections between Pakistan and the United Kingdom while improving travel options for the Pakistani diaspora.
With the addition of the Lahore service, PIA now operates five weekly flights between Pakistan and Manchester, including four services from Islamabad and one from Lahore.
 
PIA’s international operations were severely affected in June 2020 when the airline was barred from flying to the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States following safety concerns raised after the Karachi plane crash that killed nearly 100 people.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended the airline’s operations after concerns emerged over Pakistan’s pilot licensing system. The restrictions followed remarks by then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who told parliament that several pilots held questionable licences.
EASA lifted its ban on PIA in November 2024 after more than four years. In July 2025, the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to seek approval to resume commercial operations.
PIA received formal approval to restart direct UK flights in September 2025, with Manchester becoming its first destination after the restrictions were lifted. In January this year, the national carrier also resumed direct flights to London, ending another six-year suspension.
