Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced plans to introduce three weekly nonstop flights between Islamabad and Birmingham from December 1, further expanding its operations in the United Kingdom following the restoration of its access to British airspace.
According to an airline spokesperson, the new service will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, offering a convenient travel option for Pakistani communities living in the Midlands and northern England.
The spokesperson described the UK as a “highly important” market for the national carrier and said efforts were underway to increase the number of weekly flights connecting Pakistan and Britain to 23.
Birmingham Airport also welcomed the development, confirming in a post on X on Tuesday that direct services to Islamabad would return in response to strong passenger demand.
“Due to high demand from travellers in the Midlands, direct flights to Islamabad will be resuming three times a week,” the airport said.
The Birmingham announcement follows PIA’s earlier decision to expand its London operations. In September, the airline revealed plans to increase its weekly London flights from four to seven, with the additional services scheduled to begin on October 27.
The expansion marks another stage in PIA’s return to international markets after several years of restrictions imposed over aviation safety concerns.
Pakistani airlines faced flight bans in the European Union, Britain and the United States in 2020 following a fatal PIA aircraft crash in Karachi that claimed nearly 100 lives.
The restrictions were compounded by concerns over pilot licensing after then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told parliament that some pilots held “dubious” licences.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its restrictions on PIA in November 2024, ending a suspension that had lasted more than four years.
Britain followed in July 2025, removing Pakistan from its Air Safety List and opening the way for Pakistani carriers to seek permission to resume operations.
PIA subsequently received approval to restart direct flights to the UK, initially restoring services to Manchester after an interruption of nearly five years.
The addition of Birmingham is expected to improve travel connections for British Pakistanis, particularly those who previously relied on connecting flights or travelled to other UK airports for direct services to Pakistan.