Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Wednesday it will increase its weekly flights to London from four to seven starting October 27, citing rising passenger demand.

Under the revised schedule, five flights will depart from Islamabad and two from Lahore on the Lahore-London route, the airline said in a statement.

"The increase in the number of flights reflects passenger confidence and rising demand," PIA said.

Pakistani carriers were barred from flying to the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States in June 2020, months after a PIA aircraft crashed in Karachi, killing nearly 100 people on board. 

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had suspended PIA's authorisation over safety concerns, a decision that followed remarks by then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who told parliament that a number of pilots held "dubious" licenses.

The EU lifted its ban after more than four years on November 28, 2024. The UK followed suit in July 2025, removing Pakistan from its Air Safety List and clearing the way for Pakistani airlines to apply for operating rights in Britain.

PIA received approval to resume direct UK flights in September 2025, ending a near five-year gap, with Manchester as its first restored destination. The airline resumed direct flights to London in March.

Source: Dawn