ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Inter­national Airlines (PIA) will return to British airspace this month for the first time since 2020, as the carrier announced on Saturday that it will offer nonstop flights from Islamabad to Manchester starting October 25, Dawn.com reported.

The resumption follows Friday’s confirmation from the Pakistan High Commission in London that the state-owned airline had secured both a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Third Country Operator approval – crucial regulatory clearances that had been withdrawn following safety concerns.

The airline marked what it described as its “historic return” with a statement on on X, declaring: “The wait is finally over! Pakistan International Airlines proudly reconnects Manchester and Islamabad, bringing loved ones closer once again.”

According to the high commission, the Manchester route marks the first phase of PIA’s UK return, with services to Birmingham and London expected to follow, though no timeline has been specified for these additional routes.

PCAA earns UN aviation award with security scores above global and regional averages

This significant diplomatic and commercial milestone for the country comes three months after the UK removed it from its Air Safety List in July.

PCCA gets UN aviation award

Seperately, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) awarded the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) the ‘Council President Certificate (CPC)’ in recognition of significant improvements made in the country’s aviation security.

The award was received by PCCA Director-General Nadir Shafi Dar during the 42nd session of the ICAO’s Assembly, which concluded its session in Montreal.

Expressing his views on the occasion, Mr Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued commitment to ICAO Standards and Recom­mended Practices. The importance Pakistan attaches to aviation security is evident from the results of the ICAO audits, he said.

The PCAA’s effective implementation percentage rose to 84.69pc in the 2024 ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission, a figure higher than both the regional and global average. Effective implementation is a measure of a state’s safety oversight capability. Furthermore, in the last Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme of ICAO in 2024, Pakistan secured an effective implementation score of 86.79pc, also surpassing regional and global averages.

The assembly, attended by 192 member states, adopted major updates to global frameworks for aviation safety, security, and air navigation.

Amin Ahmed also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2025