PIA Welcomes First of Two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in Islamabad

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) welcomed its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on Sunday, November 1. The aircraft landed in Islamabad after flying in from London on flight PK-786.

PIA’s Chief Executive, Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, and his team welcomed the aircraft on arrival.

The Dreamliner is not owned by PIA. It is leased from Norway’s Norse Atlantic Airways under an ACMI deal. Under this type of deal, Norse Atlantic supplies the aircraft and crew. It also handles maintenance and insurance. PIA signed the agreement with Norse Atlantic on October 9. The deal covers two Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Both jets are meant to start flying PIA’s UK routes in November.

CEO of PIA said the deal would add capacity and more choice for passengers. He called the UK “an important market for PIA.”
Norse Atlantic’s CEO, Eivind Roald, said the deal supports PIA’s “long-haul capacity expansion.” He called it the start of a partnership between the two airlines.

PIA has been adding UK flights ahead of the new aircraft. From October 27, Islamabad to London Heathrow flights rose from three to five a week. Lahore to London Heathrow flights rose from one to two a week. PIA first restarted direct London flights in March, after a six-year gap. Islamabad to London began with three flights a week on March 29. Lahore to London began with one flight a week on March 31.