By Ali Imran
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday announced expansion of UK flights with direct London operations set to resume from March next year, sources said.
The national airline resumed UK operations in October after Britain lifted the five-year ban in July this year, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to restart UK flights.
The national airline has secured approval for four weekly flight slots at London’s Heathrow Airport. These slots had previously been allocated to Turkish Airlines to keep them active while the national carrier’s UK operations remained suspended.
They said the arrangement was made to ensure the slots were not forfeited during the suspension period imposed on the airline.
With restrictions now easing, the carrier has formally informed Heathrow Airport in writing of its decision to restart London flights from March 2026.
The development comes two days after a consortium headed by the Arif Habib Corporation emerged as the top bidder for a 75% stake in PIA.
In an event, the consortium entered a 135 billion bid, topping the offer of a rival group led by Lucky Cement in an intense back-and-forth that was broadcast live on television.
Meanwhile, Arif Habib Consortium announced that Fauji Fertiliser Company Limited has joined its consortium, which acquired a 75% majority stake in PIA.
The consortium, in its statement issued on Thursday, said the partnership will contribute to the airline’s financial support and corporate expertise. It added that Fauji Fertiliser will also be part of the management structure along with the Arif Habib Consortium. “The consortium will invest Rs125bn in the first year to upgrade ground operations and overall services.”
The Arif Habib Consortium also intends to increase the number of operational aircraft from 18 to 62, the statement said.
A day earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali told Reuters in an online interview that the state expects a new owner to be running the airline by April, subject to approvals.
The process now moves to final approvals by the Privatisation Commission board and the cabinet, expected within days, with contract signing likely within two weeks and financial close after a 90-day period to meet regulatory and legal conditions.
