After five years away, controversial Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed flights to the UK.
The first scheduled journey took place on Saturday October 25, marking the end of a five-year ban imposed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
PIA were prohibited from flying in UK and European airspace back in June 2020, following the Karachi air disaster, which took place on May 22, 2020.
The disaster, which killed 97 people on board, plus another person on the ground, occurred when a plane travelling from Lahore to Karachi crash landed in a residential neighbourhood, just short of the runway at Jinnah International Airport.
A subsequent investigation found that 262 of the airlines pilots had either fake licenses, or ones that contained irregularities.
It was also believed the many of the pilots hadn’t even taken their qualification exams.
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A the time, a statement by the EASA read: ‘There are strong indications that a high number of Pakistani pilot licenses are invalid. EASA therefore no longer has confidence that Pakistan… can effectively ensure that operators certified in Pakistan comply at all times with the applicable requirements for crew qualification.’
Even prior to the crash, the airline wasn’t exactly famed for its safety record.
Between 1970 and 2020, PIA suffered a fatal accident on average every five years.
But now, PIA, a state-run airline, has served it’s time away from UK and EU airports. The ban was lifted in November 2024, allowing the airline to get back up and running, with the first flight from Islamabad landed at Manchester airport over the weekend.
Would you feel comfortable booking a flight with Pakistan International Airlines?
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Yes, the ban is lifted, which means they’re safe
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No way, they can’t win back my trust
The flight was marked with a ceremony at Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital. Speaking at the event, Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, said: ‘The flight to Manchester is a remarkable beginning, but we are firmly determined to start flights to London and Birmingham next.’
It’s thought that Birmingham will get flights first, while flights to London Heathrow will be considered depending on demand.
Asif also noted that it was an important step for the 1.4 million Pakistanis that live in the UK and Europe.
He added: ‘Providing them with direct flights is both a moral and national duty,” he said. “These services will save them time, offer reasonable fares, and provide direct air links to their homeland.’
Pakistan International Airlines isn’t the only carrier that’s been banned from flying in the UK.
At the start of 2025, a total of 23 countries had airlines which were prohibited from landing in the UK. The two countries with the largest number were Russia and Nepal.
Controversial marketing campaign
When Pakistan International Airlines announced that they were resuming flights to Paris back in January 2025, they did so with a seemingly ill-thought out poster.
The advert appeared to show a plane heading straight for the Eiffel Tower.
The slogan read: ‘Paris, we’re coming today.’
Hundreds criticised the tweet as ‘tone-deaf’, with many drawing comparisons to PIA’s 1970s advertisement that depicted a Boeing 747 casting its shadow on the Twin Towers, years before they were destroyed in the September 11 attacks.
The campaign left people questioning how it got approval from bosses in the first place.
‘I will personally pay for y’all to get a new creative agency,’ read one comment.
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