By Sumavaya Iqbal 
As Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) inches closer to restarting its long-suspended services to the United Kingdom, a senior two-member team from the airline arrived in Manchester this week to review final arrangements ahead of the relaunch.
The delegation, comprising Chief Operating Officer Khurram Mushtaq and General Manager Coordination Zulqarnain Mehdi, is tasked with conducting a full-scale assessment of airport facilities, ground handling logistics, and compliance measures. The findings will be submitted in a detailed operational readiness report to PIA’s central management in Islamabad.
According to airline insiders, PIA is scheduled to resume its UK-bound flights on August 14, following the easing of aviation restrictions that had earlier barred its access to British airspace.
The airline’s initial route will operate four weekly direct flights between Islamabad and Manchester, using wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft. Gradual expansion into London Heathrow and Birmingham is already on the horizon, pending further regulatory approvals and internal review.
Ahead of the UK relaunch, PIA’s Chief Executive Officer recently inspected the technical condition of the aircraft designated for the service. The inspection, held at the Asfahani Hangar in Karachi, focused on ensuring compliance with international aviation safety and performance benchmarks.
The relaunch comes at a critical time. The UK, being Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, facilitates £4.7 billion in annual trade. The return of direct flights is expected to foster not only commercial ties but also significantly ease travel for families, students, and business travellers within the Pakistani diaspora.