ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, acquired on lease last month, arrived as flight PK786 from London on Sunday.
The carrier is the first Pakistani airline to have added a Boeing 787-9 to its fleet, said a PIA spokesperson. The plane is equipped with modern technology, including in-flight entertainment, and features a spacious and comfortable cabin, he said.
PIA Chief Executive Aamir Hayat, accompanied by his team, met the Dreamliner at Islamabad airport.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is a long-range, twin-engine plane with up to 325 seats. Previously, PIA’s fleet consisted of 12 Boeing 777 jets, 15 Airbus A320 planes and five smaller ATRs.
PK 786 arrives from London a month after lease deal
The airline had signed the ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance) lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways last month to acquire two state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, one of which arrived in Islamabad on Sunday.
“The inclusion of the Dreamliner is part of a strategy to modernise PIA’s fleet and strengthen its international network,” a PIA spokesperson said, adding that the objective was to provide international-standard travel facilities and a more comfortable air travel experience to passengers through modern aircraft.
The spokesperson said the addition of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner would mark the start of the airline’s expansion. By expanding its fleet, the airline aims to meet rising demand with direct flights and broader global connectivity, he added.
The aircraft would operate direct long-haul flights from Pakistan to the United Kingdom, he said, adding that they would support PIA operations between different points in the UK and Pakistan.
Earlier in September, the government clarified that it was not buying any aircraft for the former national carrier after reports emerged of a federal minister arranging and negotiating sovereign-linked financing for PIA jets. The airline was privatised last year through an auction. A consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited had won the auction for 75 per cent shares of PIA, making a winning bid of Rs135 billion.
Calling the new addition to PIA fleet an important milestone in airline’s revival, Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) Pakistan founder Imran Aslam Khan said the move would give a boost to international operations.
Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2026
