Norse Atlantic is leasing two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to Pakistani airline PIA to boost long-haul capacity between the UK and Pakistan.
The airline is providing the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI), with PIA planning to launch additional flights to the UK from November 2026.
The routes will ‘bridge multiple destinations’ between the UK and Pakistan, meeting rising demand for ‘direct and premium’ connections, according to Norse.
The deal follows a July 2025 report that start-up HB International Airlines was promoting Norse-operated Boeing 787 flights from Birmingham and Manchester to Islamabad as a ‘joint venture’. Norse declined to confirm the plans at the time.
PIA currently operates direct flights to both London Heathrow and Manchester, having relaunched services to the UK last year following a five-year gap during which it was banned after a fatal crash revealed some 200 of its pilots had fake licences. It previously also operated flights to Birmingham.
Norse said it is also in ‘active discussions’ with ‘leading international airlines’ about further ACMI deals and said it will share more details as those opportunities take shape.
Norse CEO Eivind Roald said: “As previously communicated to the market, we deliver according to what we have said by now gradually redeploying capacity into new ACMI opportunities. We are pleased to support PIA’s long-haul capacity expansion and to strengthen connectivity between the UK and Pakistan by providing the large Pakistani community in the UK with more options for travel between the two countries. We see this as the start of a strategic partnership between the two companies.
“Charter and ACMI agreements are integral to our balanced business model, enabling us to capture attractive capacity opportunities worldwide with a clear focus on utilization, predictable cash flows and long-term value creation.”
PIA CEO Amir Hayat said: “The UK is an important market for PIA, and this agreement will allow us to expand the much-needed capacity and provide greater choice and connectivity for passengers travelling on these routes.
“We are pleased to partner with Norse Atlantic as we continue to strengthen our international network and respond to strong demand for direct travel between the two countries. This is the first set of Dreamliners that is being adopted by the Pakistani market and we hope they will provide a dream journey to our valued guests who expect premium services from their national carrier.”
In August, IndiGo ended its damp lease agreement with Norse, returning six aircraft with crew, which it has used to launch flights from Europe, including Heathrow and Manchester, to India.
The low-cost carrier citied ‘challenging operating environment triggered by the ongoing geopolitical tensions.’
