ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) board of directors has approved leases for five aircraft on September 23, 2026. The board also ordered faster procurement of spare parts.
The approvals cover two aircraft on a six-month wet lease from Norse Atlantic and three others on dry lease. A source linked the wet-leased aircraft to PIA’s European and UK operations.
The decisions followed a meeting involving the airline’s new owners in Islamabad. Directors discussed financial and operational matters, along with the leasing arrangements.
Separately, PIA has announced plans to increase its London service from four to seven flights a week. An airline spokesperson outlined five weekly services from Islamabad and two from Lahore.
The carrier attributed the expansion to growing passenger demand and confidence in its Pakistan-UK services. It expects the additional departures to offer overseas Pakistanis and other travellers more choice when planning journeys between the countries.
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The London expansion follows the return of Heathrow Airport slots previously allocated to foreign airlines. Recovering those slots enabled PIA to increase its schedule to the British capital. The expanded London timetable takes effect on October 27, 2026.