ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will launch three direct weekly flights between Islamabad and Birmingham from Dec. 1, the airline said on Wednesday, expanding its UK operations as it seeks to strengthen connectivity for overseas Pakistanis and boost international operations.

The airline, which was privatized in Dec. last year, currently flies to more than 25 international destinations, including London, Dubai, Beijing and Riyadh, according to its website.

A PIA spokesperson said on Wednesday that the airline will initially operate three flights between Islamabad and Birmingham every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

“These flights to Birmingham will provide the convenience of direct air travel to a large number of Pakistanis residing in the northern and central regions of the United Kingdom,” the spokesperson said.

Britain banned the airline in 2020 after a deadly PIA Airbus A320 crash in Karachi killed 97 people in May of that year. The disaster was followed by allegations of irregularities in pilot licensing, also leading to bans by the US and the European Union (EU).

While the airline last year resumed flights to Europe and the UK after the ban was lifted, it remains barred from flying to the US. PIA currently operates more than 10 weekly flights to Britain.

“The UK is a highly significant route for PIA and the airline aims to increase the total number of weekly flights between Pakistan and the UK to 23,” the PIA spokesperson said.

In a post on x, Birmingham Airport confirmed the launch of PIA flights.

“Due to high demand from travelers in the Midlands, direct flights to Islamabad will be resuming three times a week,” it said.

“With more than 320,000 people of Pakistani heritage living in the West Midlands, the route is expected to appeal strongly to the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market, which represents a large share of travel demand between the UK and Pakistan.”