PIA restarts Lahore-Manchester and Islamabad-Beijing flights

Pakistan International Airlines is restoring two important international routes in July, restarting Lahore-Manchester flights after a five-year gap and resuming Islamabad-Beijing service after a short suspension.

The Lahore-Manchester operation is scheduled to restart on July 2, 2026, with the first flight from Lahore already reported as fully booked. The route will operate weekly, giving passengers in Punjab a direct air link to one of the UK’s major cities.

The airline’s return to Manchester is significant for overseas Pakistanis living in northern England, particularly families who regularly travel between the UK and Punjab. The direct service is expected to reduce reliance on connecting flights through other regional airports and shorten overall travel time.

PIA is also resuming its weekly Islamabad-Beijing flights from July 3, 2026. The China route is expected to support business travel, student movement, tourism and official travel between the two countries.

The restoration of both routes comes as PIA continues efforts to rebuild its international network after years of disruption on several foreign sectors. Direct flights to the UK and China remain important for passengers seeking affordable and convenient travel options from Pakistan.

With these resumptions, PIA is aiming to strengthen connectivity from Lahore and Islamabad while serving demand from expatriates, students, traders and regular travelers.