PIA to resume direct UK flights from October

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has received official approval as a Third Country Operator (TCO) for the United Kingdom, after which the aircraft will be able to operate direct flights.

This approval is not only for passenger flights but also allows the company to operate for cargo operations, and it has also been issued an ‘Air Cargo Carrier 3 (ACC3)’ certificate by the UK Department of Transport, which will be valid for the next 5 years.

According to media reports, PIA will start its flights from October, initially Manchester will be included and flights to Birmingham and London will be added later.

Earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) reported a pre-tax profit for the first half of 2025, its first such gain in nearly 20 years as the government pushes ahead with plans to privatize the national flag carrier.

The airline, now operating under PIA Holding Company, recorded a pre-tax profit of Rs. 11.5 billion ($40.6 million) in the six months ended June, reversing losses from the same period a year earlier. Net profit stood at Rs. 6.8 billion.

A company source told Reuters that this was PIA’s first pre-tax profit since 2004, noting that financial records prior to 2014 are no longer publicly available.

The turnaround came as the government took over about 80 percent of PIA’s long-standing debt last year. However, the airline’s equity remains negative, reflecting ongoing pressure from higher fuel and service costs.

The profit comes at a critical time, as Islamabad prepares to sell the carrier later this year under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program that calls for the divestment of loss-making state-owned firms. Officials say the sale would be Pakistan’s first major privatization in nearly two decades.