Before the 2020 suspension, PIA operated seven nonstop UK routes, including services from Islamabad, Lahore and Sialkot to both London Heathrow and Manchester. British Airways currently provides the sole direct link between the two countries, flying three times per week from London Gatwick to Islamabad using 777s.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer landed in Mumbai on Wednesday with a delegation of more than 100 British business, academic and cultural leaders, as London seeks to deepen commerce with New Delhi after signing a long-awaited free trade agreement.