Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has regained 14 slots at London’s Heathrow Airport that had previously been allocated to foreign carriers following restrictions on the national airline’s operations in the United Kingdom.
The restoration of the slots is expected to allow PIA to increase flights between Pakistan and London, with additional services planned under its winter schedule beginning in October.
According to sources, PIA is expected to increase its Islamabad-London service from three to five flights per week, while flights between Lahore and London could rise from one to two weekly.
The restored Heathrow slots are also expected to improve connectivity for passengers travelling from Karachi and Sialkot, who could reach London through connecting PIA services.
Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest and most capacity-constrained airports, making its take-off and landing slots particularly valuable to international airlines.
Regaining the slots is expected to give PIA greater capacity to rebuild its presence in the UK market while strengthening air links between Pakistan and Britain.