PIA Suspends Lahore–Paris After Two Months to Prioritize UK Routes

Pakistan International Airlines has suspended its Lahore–Paris service after just two months to shift aircraft and crews toward the United Kingdom, where the carrier is restarting nonstop service after a five-year break. The move follows the UK’s decision on July 16, 2025, to lift restrictions on Pakistani carriers, a step taken after European and British aviation authorities said Pakistan’s air safety oversight had improved since the 2020 crash in Karachi and the subsequent pilot licensing scandal.

PIA will begin four weekly nonstop flights between Islamabad and Manchester on August 16, 2025, marking the airline’s first UK route since the ban was removed. PIA officials frame the change as temporary network tuning during a soft travel period in France, with plans to return to Paris in time for the winter holiday rush.

Suspension and schedule details

PIA’s last Paris–Lahore flight is scheduled for September 12, 2025, and the last Lahore–Paris departure will operate on September 17, 2025. The airline says demand on the France route dropped during the late-summer and early-fall lean season, making a temporary pause practical as it reassigns widebody jets to the UK market.

Abdullah Hafeez, a PIA spokesperson, said the decision is part of a broader pivot focused on routes with stronger demand and better fit with the airline’s recovery plan. He added the Paris route is slated to return in November 2025, once the peak holiday period begins and traffic picks up again.

Islamabad–Manchester: route, aircraft and timings

According to PIA’s initial schedule:

• Flight PK701: departs Islamabad 12:05 PM PKT, arrives Manchester 5:00 PM GMT.
• Flight PK702: departs Manchester 7:00 PM GMT, arrives Islamabad 6:50 AM PKT the following day.
• Frequency: four times a week (Thursday through Sunday).
• Aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER with 329 seats ( 35 in Business, 294 in Economy).

Those aircraft were already flying European sectors earlier this year, including to Paris, and are being reassigned to the UK corridor in time for late-summer travel.

Regulatory approvals and targets

PIA says it expects to expand further in Britain by mid-October 2025, once it completes the standard approvals non-UK airlines need to serve British airports. The key regulatory step is the Third-Country Operator (TCO) authorization, issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

• PIA expects to secure TCO authorization by mid-September 2025, enabling added UK routes by mid-October 2025, subject to slot availability and crew/aircraft allocation.
• Official guidance on the TCO framework can be found on the UK Civil Aviation Authority website: https://www.caa.co.uk.

A spokesperson for the UK government’s mission in Islamabad, High Commissioner Jane Marriott, said the UK’s decision to lift the ban followed a “sustained, independent and technically-driven process,” and praised Pakistan’s progress on air safety oversight.

Strategic rationale: why Manchester matters

The quick shift from Paris to Manchester underscores how valuable access to the UK is for PIA’s turnaround:

• The UK is one of Pakistan’s largest long-haul markets by family travel volume, with a deep Pakistani diaspora concentrated across Northern England.
• Manchester is a preferred entry point for travelers heading to and from the Islamabad–Rawalpindi area and nearby regions.
• Nonstop service saves hours and avoids terminal transfers that come with one-stop connections via Middle Eastern hubs.

Aviation analysts describe Manchester as a smart first step because it directly connects communities in Bradford, Leeds, Blackburn, Bolton and other towns with strong family ties to Islamabad. VisaVerge.com’s analysis notes diaspora-heavy routes reward reliability and predictable schedules, which is why PIA’s choice of four fixed weekly days could help rebuild trust.

Financial context and privatization links

PIA is under a tight financial lens as the government seeks buyers for a majority stake (between 51% and 100%) under a broader reform program tied to a $7 billion IMF package. The airline has faced years of losses totaling around $2.5 billion.

• Financial advisors have recommended route choices that support steadier revenue streams.
• Reassigning aircraft from low-demand European periods to higher-demand UK corridors is meant to improve cash flow.
• PIA officials say privatization outcomes will hinge on overall performance rather than the status of any single route.

Network moves like this aim to show investors and lenders that PIA is applying market logic: place aircraft where they can fill large jets consistently.

Passenger guidance and immediate actions

PIA has not released detailed rebooking guidance beyond the suspension dates already announced. The airline directs customers to its call center, airport offices, and social media pages for updates.

Practical steps for affected passengers:

• Check booking details and travel dates against the announced last flights: September 12 (Paris–Lahore) and September 17 (Lahore–Paris).
• Contact PIA via call center, airport sales offices, or verified social accounts for reroutes, refunds, or options.
• Consider one-stop alternatives via Doha, Istanbul, or Dubai if travel is needed between the suspension dates and the planned November restart.
• If traveling to the UK, monitor availability on PK701/PK702, as weekend seats may sell quickly.

Important: PIA says the pause is temporary, with a target to restart Paris in November 2025 for the busy holiday season.

Onboard product and market competition

The Boeing 777-200ER in PIA’s layout offers a two-cabin experience:

• Business: 35 seats (flat beds for overnight returns)
• Economy: 294 seats (dense layout to keep per-seat costs down)

While business travel to Manchester is smaller than to London or major European capitals, a reliable premium cabin will attract government, corporate, and VFR travelers. The dense economy cabin helps compete on cost with Gulf and Turkish carriers that offer frequent one-stop alternatives.

Background: why the bans were lifted

Several years of turmoil preceded the restart:

• After the 2020 crash near Karachi and revelations about irregular pilot licensing, the EU and UK barred PIA from flying into their airspace.
• EASA lifted its EU ban in November 2024, allowing limited continental service early in 2025.
• The UK removed PIA from its Air Safety List on July 16, 2025, after a fresh review of Pakistan’s safety oversight.
• PIA resumed some European service in January 2025, adding Paris in June 2025.

With London and Manchester back in play, planners see more room to rebuild the network where diaspora demand is deep and steady.

Community and industry reaction

• Travel agents in Lahore report calls from students and families who now need alternate itineraries between mid-September and October.
• Some passengers are choosing one-stop options via Doha, Istanbul or Dubai until PIA’s planned November return to Charles de Gaulle.
• Community leaders in Greater Manchester welcome the restart if performance and safety remain steady; safety is the top concern for families.

A stable UK schedule can also boost bookings for domestic feeders, hotels near Islamabad International Airport, and a range of service jobs—catering, baggage handling, security—helping sustain employment tied to airport operations.

Operational considerations and flexibility

PIA’s four-day weekly schedule gives operational flexibility:

• If one day underperforms, planners can swap days without a full timetable rewrite.
• Predictable windows help maintenance teams schedule checks between long-haul rotations—important for older widebodies like the 777-200ER.
• Reliability and on-time performance will determine whether Manchester becomes a long-term anchor.

Regulatory steps recap (four-step sequence)

1) Safety oversight review: EASA and UK authorities assessed improvements after the 2020 crisis.
2) Ban removal: UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List on July 16, 2025.
3) TCO authorization: PIA applied for Third-Country Operator approval from the UK CAA, expected by mid-September 2025.
4) Route launch and expansion: Islamabad–Manchester begins on August 16, 2025, with further UK routes targeted for mid-October 2025, subject to approvals.

Quick facts (at a glance)

Outlook and final considerations

If PK701/PK702 achieve good on-time performance and healthy load factors, PIA will have a strong case to expand in Britain. Conversely, persistent delays or cancellations could undermine confidence, given strong one-stop competition via Gulf carriers.

PIA’s approach is deliberately cautious: establish one UK route on a predictable schedule, prioritize reliability, secure the TCO authorization, then expand. The coming weeks will show whether Islamabad–Manchester becomes the steady bridge many families have awaited—and whether a short pause on Lahore–Paris pays off when those flights return for the holidays.