London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is ready to welcome Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and ITA Airways from March 2026. This marks the return of both airlines to London Heathrow.
London Heathrow welcomes PIA
The busiest airport in the UK, London Heathrow, is also one of the most expensive ones for airlines to get a slot for their operations. Because of this and the option of London Gatwick, many low-cost carriers and less busy routes have shifted to London Gatwick.
In addition to the cost of the slot, Pakistan’s flag carrier, PIA was banned from flying to the UK in 2020. After five years, the ban was lifted, and London Heathrow will welcome the PIA and its Boeing 777-200ER from March 29, 2026.
PIA will serve Islamabad to London Heathrow with four flights a week. Currently, there are no direct flights to Pakistan from London Heathrow, as British Airways operates from London Gatwick, making PIAs return significant.
Though March 2026 will witness the return of PIA to London Heathrow, PIA has been operating in the UK since late October with flights to Manchester.
ITA Airways returns to LHR
London Heathrow will also welcome Italy’s national carrier, ITA Airways, returning to Heathrow after almost two years, on the same day.
ITA Airways, the successor of Alitalia, stopped services from Heathrow in March 2024 after shifting its base to London City. In October 2024, ITA offered Rome-Gatwick flights but decided in September 2025 to resume its operations from London Heathrow. ITA will be operating from the slots leased from its part-parent, Lufthansa Group.
ITA also increased the Rome-London service to twice a day, from a daily service when it was last operated from Heathrow.
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