PIA passes 100,000 passengers in first year back at Manchester
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- PIA carried 104,845 passengers on its two Manchester routes in 12 months.
- Islamabad flights grew from twice a week to four times a week.
- Birmingham returns on December 1, and Heathrow grows to seven flights a week.
Pakistan International Airlines has passed 100,000 passengers at Manchester Airport in its first year back. The airline carried 104,845 passengers on direct routes to Islamabad and Lahore. The milestone was reported by Manchester Airport on October 26, 2026.
What happened
PIA restarted direct Manchester flights on October 25, 2025. The first route linked Manchester with Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. A second route to Lahore followed in July 2026.
The Islamabad route started at twice a week. Strong demand pushed it to four times a week. Those flights leave Manchester on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
The Lahore route runs once a week, on Wednesdays.
Cargo also moved on the two routes. PIA carried 1,541 tonnes of cargo in total. Of that total, 1,412 tonnes came into the UK.
A further 129 tonnes went out to Pakistan.
The main imports were fresh fruit, vegetables, and nuts. They also included medicines, clothing, and fabrics. Manchester Airport said the cargo trade brought millions to the local economy.
Why it matters
The routes matter most for families split between two countries. More than 300,000 British Pakistanis live in the north of England, according to 2021 data. Large groups live in Manchester and Bradford.
Direct flights cut out a change of plane. They also tend to cost less than a trip with a stop.
Yasmin Qureshi is MP for Bolton South and Walkden. She said the return of direct flights made trips cheaper and easier. She chairs the all-party group on Pakistan in Parliament.
Chris Woodroofe is the managing director of Manchester Airport. He said the Pakistan links show how the airport connects people, trade, and jobs. He also pointed to a decade-long, 1.5 billion pound upgrade of Terminal 2.
Afzal Khan is MP for Manchester Rusholme. He gave a wider number. He said over 350,000 people in the North West fly to Islamabad each year.
That figure covers all routes, not just PIA.
It shows why airlines want a share of this market.
A long road back
PIA stopped its own UK flights in 2020. The halt followed a crash in Karachi that killed nearly 100 people.
It also followed claims about pilot licences in Pakistan. The claims said many pilots held fake licences or had cheated in exams. UK and EU aviation chiefs then banned the airline from their airspace.
That ban was lifted in 2025, according to ADS Advance. PIA then rebuilt step by step. It returned to Paris in January 2025.
Manchester followed in October 2025. London flights resumed in March 2026.
The rebuild is still under way. PIA will resume Islamabad to Birmingham flights on December 1, 2026. That route will run three times a week.
There is no direct flight between the two cities at present.
Birmingham is not new ground for PIA. The airline last served it through a leased Airbus A330 from Jordan Aviation. That short-lived service ended with its last flight in November 2022.
Before Covid, PIA flew the route three times a week.
Aviation analyst Behramjee Ghadially gave a 2019 market share figure. He put PIA at 74 percent for the route.
Since then, Emirates and Turkish Airlines have taken the top spots. They now hold 41 percent and 29 percent of the market, according to ADS Advance.
Direct flights may win back share. Most passengers on the route visit family and friends.
What happens next
London Heathrow will also grow this winter. Total PIA service there will rise to seven flights a week. Islamabad to Heathrow will rise from three to five flights a week.
Lahore to Heathrow will rise from one to two flights a week.
PIA will use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for much of this growth. The jets are leased from Norse Atlantic Airways.
A wet lease means the other airline supplies the plane, crew, upkeep, and insurance. The leased jets will also serve Manchester routes, according to AeroRoutes.
AeroRoutes lists the switch dates for the Dreamliners. Islamabad to Heathrow changes on October 31, 2026. Lahore to Heathrow changes on November 1, 2026.
Islamabad to Manchester changes on November 15, 2026. Lahore to Manchester changes on November 18, 2026.
For travellers, the message is simple. Book early for peak family travel dates, and check which plane is listed at booking. More seats do not always mean lower fares.
They do mean more choice of days, and fewer trips with a stop.
Travellers on a long-haul flight should still pack with care for the long trip. Winter plans can also shift, as shown by winter flight cuts at other airlines.
UK airport costs are a separate check. See the UK airport drop-off charges guide.
The next test comes in December. Birmingham will show if demand outside Manchester and London is just as strong.
If it is, PIA will have turned a one-airport comeback into a three-airport network. That shift took just over a year.
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