PIA to start three weekly Islamabad-Birmingham flights from December 1
Pakistan International Airlines will launch three direct weekly flights between Islamabad and Birmingham on December 1. The airline says it aims to raise total weekly Pakistan-UK flights to 23.
- PIA will fly direct from Islamabad to Birmingham three times a week from December 1.
- Flights will initially run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
- The airline aims to raise weekly Pakistan-UK flights to 23.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Wednesday that it will launch three direct weekly flights between Islamabad and Birmingham from December 1, widening its operations in the United Kingdom.
According to The Express Tribune, the Birmingham flights will initially operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The airline cited high demand from travellers in the Midlands as the reason for returning to Birmingham Airport on December 1, 2026.
A PIA spokesperson said the airline aims to increase the total number of weekly flights between Pakistan and the UK to 23. The spokesperson described the UK as a very important route for the airline, according to Express News.
The new service is intended to improve connectivity for Pakistanis living in northern and central Britain by giving them direct air access, according to Express News and Minute Mirror.
The Express Tribune reported that on September 3 PIA decided to expand its London operations, raising weekly flights to seven from October 27. PIA will operate daily Pakistan-London flights, including five weekly from Islamabad and two from Lahore.
PIA resumed direct UK flights in October last year, after UK authorities ended a five-year suspension over aviation safety concerns. The airline had been barred from flying to Britain, the EU and the United States in June 2020, a month after an A320 crash in Karachi that killed nearly 100 people. That crash was blamed on human error.
Britain lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers in July 2025. The Express Tribune quoted UK authorities as describing the position as "satisfactory and in line with international norms".
Why it matters
Pakistanis who travel to and from the UK get a new direct flight option from December 1. Passengers with family or business in northern and central Britain can fly to Birmingham without changing planes, according to the reports. The addition also raises the number of weekly Pakistan-UK services PIA plans to run.
