PIA launches Lahore-Manchester direct flights

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has launched direct flights between Lahore and Manchester, with the inaugural flight PK-709 departing from Lahore on Wednesday night.

According to PIA, 325 passengers travelled on the first Lahore-Manchester flight.

The passengers were seen off by PIA’s local management and officials of the Manchester Airport Group.

An inaugural ceremony was also held at Lahore Airport to mark the start of the new route.

Passengers welcomed the restoration of direct air connectivity between Lahore and Manchester, calling it an important development for the Pakistani community living in the United Kingdom.

With the launch of the Lahore service, PIA’s weekly flights between Pakistan and Manchester have increased to five.

The airline now operates four weekly flights from Islamabad to Manchester and one weekly flight from Lahore to Manchester.

PIA had resumed direct flights to Manchester in October 2025 after a five-year suspension.

The resumption followed the United Kingdom’s decision to remove PIA from its Air Safety List on July 16, 2025.

At the time, four weekly flights were initially planned between Islamabad and Manchester, while flights to Birmingham and London were to follow in the next phase.

The route expansion comes as Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) has entered a new phase after the Privatisation Commission completed the first closing of its privatisation transaction on Monday.

The commission said management control of PIACL has been transferred to the investor consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited after completion of all conditions precedent under the Share Purchase and Subscription Agreement (SPSA).