PIA
Terminal 4, for flights up to 27 March 2027
- Islamabad3 a week, rising to 5 from late October
- Lahore1 a week, rising to 2 from late October
3
UK airports with scheduled direct flights
Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester
2
cities in Pakistan with scheduled direct flights
2
airlines with scheduled direct flights
PIA and British Airways
8 hours
Typical direct flight time from the UK to Islamabad or Lahore
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flies direct from Heathrow and Manchester to Islamabad and Lahore, and British Airways flies direct from Gatwick to Islamabad.
Direct flights from UK airports
Every UK airport with a direct flight to Pakistan, with the airline and the terminal it uses.
From Heathrow1 airline, 2 cities
From Gatwick1 airline, 1 city
British Airways
South Terminal
- Islamabad3 a week
From Manchester1 airline, 2 cities
PIA
Terminal 2
- IslamabadAbout 4 a week
- Lahore1 a week
Other UK airports
No direct flights. You change planes on the way.
Tell us your UK airport and your dates, and we will price the options with one stop.
PIA uses Terminal 4 at Heathrow for flights up to 27 March 2027. We confirm the terminal for later dates when we quote.
For PIA’s terminals, baggage and flight days, see PIA flights from the UK.
Flight details checked October 2026. Airlines change days and terminals from season to season, and we confirm them when we quote.
Cities in Pakistan
Flight details checked October 2026.
No airline flies direct from the UK to Karachi, Multan, Sialkot or Faisalabad, so for those cities you fly with one stop.
Islamabad
DirectHeathrowGatwickManchester
Direct from Heathrow and Manchester with PIA, and from Gatwick with British Airways.
London to Islamabad flightsMultan, Sialkot and Faisalabad
One stop on the way.
For anywhere else in Pakistan, call us and we will price the flights for your dates.
Direct or with one stop
Flight details checked October 2026.
Direct
PIA and British Airways fly direct, with no change of plane. The flight takes about 8 hours from the UK to Islamabad or Lahore.
With one stop
With one stop you change planes on the way. Emirates, for example, flies from Heathrow to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi through Dubai, and from Manchester to Islamabad. To Lahore, other airlines with one stop include Qatar Airways through Doha, Etihad through Abu Dhabi, Turkish Airlines through Istanbul and Gulf Air through Bahrain. The journey takes longer, but it reaches cities with no direct flight from the UK, such as Karachi.
Tell us your dates and we will price both, so you can weigh the fare against the time.
Before you fly
Visa, NICOP, SNICOP and POC
If you hold a valid NICOP or SNICOP card, Pakistan recognises you as a citizen, and you can enter without a visa and stay as long as you like. NADRA says a Pakistan Origin Card (POC) also gives visa-free entry. Otherwise, on a British passport you need a visa, and you must apply before you travel. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you apply.
Apply on the official portal
NADRA says visa applications can only be made online at visa.nadra.gov.pk. The Pakistan High Commission in London says its own site is the only authentic one, and that it has no link with any “E-Facilitation centres” in East London or other parts of London.
Entry stamp
Make sure your passport is stamped when you arrive in Pakistan.
Leaving Pakistan
To leave, you need an unexpired visa, a Pakistani national identity card or a Pakistani passport. If your visa runs out while you are there, apply online for an exit permit from inside Pakistan before you try to leave.
Children
If you travel with a child as a single parent, or with a child who is not your own, you may need documents showing parental responsibility before you leave Pakistan. The FCDO says this is particularly likely if the child is of Pakistani origin.
Travel advice
Read the FCDO travel advice for Pakistan before you book. Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi are not on its lists.
The FCDO advises against all travel to these areas.
- Balochistan
- within 10 miles of the border with Afghanistan
- within 10 miles of the Line of Control
- parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar and the city of Peshawar, Swat, Kohat, Bannu, Kurram, Khyber, the Dir districts and the Waziristans, and stretches of the Karakoram Highway and the N45
It advises against all but essential travel to these areas.
- Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which includes Mirpur
- Malakand, Mardan, Nowshera, Shangla and Swabi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- within 5 miles of the border with India
- Sindh north of and including Nawabshah
- Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab
There have been demonstrations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The FCDO says local authorities have advised visitors to avoid the area and have encouraged visitors already there to leave. If you are flying to Islamabad to travel on to Mirpur or elsewhere in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, read this part of the advice first.
The FCDO also warns of planned protests in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and other cities.
Travelling against FCDO advice can invalidate your travel insurance, and the advice changes, so read it again before you fly.
How we help
Tell us whether you are going to Islamabad, Lahore or somewhere else in Pakistan, and which UK airport suits you.
020 7993 8474Call our team on 020 7993 8474, Mon to Sat, 8am to 8pm UK, and we will price the direct flight and the options with one stop for your dates, then book the one you choose. We confirm the fare and the total with you before we book.
Or send us your dates below and we will contact you in opening hours. Out of hours, email sales@theukflights.com and we reply the next working day.
IATAAccredited agent 91201434
ATOL10758
The UK Flights, trading since 2009. IATA accredited agent 91201434. ATOL 10758 protection applies where the booking forms a package, and we tell you before you pay.
Send your dates to our team
Pakistan questions
Flight details checked October 2026.
For anything else, call us on 020 7993 8474, Mon to Sat, 8am to 8pm UK.
Which UK airports have direct flights to Pakistan?
Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. PIA flies from Heathrow and Manchester to Islamabad and Lahore, and British Airways flies from Gatwick to Islamabad.
Are there direct flights to Pakistan from Birmingham?
Not at the moment. Direct flights to Pakistan leave from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. Tell us your dates and we will price flights from Birmingham with a change of plane as well.
Can I fly direct to Karachi?
Not from the UK. You change planes on the way, for example with Emirates in Dubai, and we can price the options for your dates.
How long is the direct flight to Pakistan?
About 8 hours from the UK to Islamabad or Lahore, and about 9 hours on the way back.
How many PIA flights are there each week?
From Heathrow, PIA flies 3 times a week to Islamabad and once a week to Lahore, rising to 5 and 2 a week from late October 2026. From Manchester it flies about 4 times a week to Islamabad and once a week to Lahore.
Do British citizens need a visa for Pakistan?
Yes, unless you hold a valid NICOP, SNICOP or Pakistan Origin Card. Apply online before you travel, at visa.nadra.gov.pk.
Which terminal does PIA use at Heathrow?
Terminal 4, for flights up to 27 March 2027. We confirm the terminal for later dates when we quote. At Manchester, PIA uses Terminal 2.