Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate its first direct flight to Manchester today (Saturday) at 12 noon, marking the resumption of its operations to the United Kingdom after nearly five years.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, along with senior officials from PIA, the Civil Aviation Authority, and British diplomatic representatives, will attend the inaugural ceremony at Islamabad International Airport.

The inaugural flight, operated on a Boeing 777 aircraft, will carry 273 passengers to Manchester.

In the first phase, PIA will operate two weekly flights to Manchester on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The return flight from Manchester will depart at 7pm and arrive in Islamabad at 7am the following morning.

According to officials, PIA plans to launch flights to London in the second phase of its UK operations.

The resumption of operations begins after Britain and the European Union lifted a five-year ban on PIA flights, imposed in 2020 over safety certification concerns.