PIA carries 104,845 passengers on Manchester–Pakistan routes

Pakistan International Airlines has carried 104,845 passengers on direct services between Manchester and Pakistan in the year since it returned to the airport, according to figures released by Manchester Airport on Monday 26 October 2026. The airline’s Islamabad operation has doubled to four weekly flights, and a second route to Lahore opened in July.

The figures show more than a passenger milestone. Manchester Airport says the two routes have also carried 1,541 tonnes of freight, strengthening a link used by families and businesses across northern England.

PIA doubles Islamabad flights and adds Lahore

PIA resumed its Manchester–Islamabad service on 25 October 2025 with two flights a week. Departures now operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Lahore joined the timetable in July 2026 and is served once a week, on Wednesdays, according to Manchester Airport’s anniversary figures.

The airport’s total combines passenger journeys on the two services. It does not mean 104,845 different people travelled, nor that both routes operated for the full 12 months. Lahore accounted for only part of the period, having launched nine months after Islamabad.

For travellers heading to Pakistan, the non-stop services remove the need to change aircraft at an intermediate hub. Islamabad provides access to the capital and surrounding cities; Lahore offers another arrival point, particularly for passengers travelling onwards in Punjab.

Manchester Airport reports 1,541 tonnes of cargo

PIA’s return has also restored a direct freight route. Manchester Airport recorded 1,412 tonnes imported from Pakistan and 129 tonnes exported from Manchester during the first year. Goods brought into the UK included fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, medicines, clothes and fabrics.

That imbalance matters. Most of the freight moved on the services came into Britain, suggesting the routes serve commercial demand as well as passengers travelling between the two countries. The airport says the trade generated millions of pounds for the northern economy, although it has not published a detailed breakdown of that estimate.

The passenger and cargo operations share the same international link, but their commercial needs are not identical. Freight capacity can give an airline another revenue source on long-haul routes, even when the aircraft primarily carries passengers.

Why direct Pakistan flights matter to northern England

Manchester’s catchment extends beyond Greater Manchester into Lancashire, Yorkshire and other parts of the North. The airport cites 2021 census data showing more than 300,000 British Pakistanis living across northern England, with large communities in Manchester and Bradford.

Those ties are reflected in demand for travel to see relatives, attend family events and conduct business. Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport’s managing director, linked the services both to personal connections and to regional trade. The airport is also investing in its international operation through a £1.5bn redevelopment of Terminal 2.

The airline’s first-year result does not guarantee further expansion. It does, however, show a clear change from the position last October: passengers now have five direct PIA departures a week from Manchester to Pakistan, four to Islamabad and one to Lahore, instead of the original twice-weekly link.