Pakistan International Airlines plans to add two 787s for UK

Pakistan International Airlines is getting two additional aircraft for its UK services, along with the crews and operating support to go with them. Norse Atlantic Airways has signed an agreement to supply PIA with two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with operations expected to begin in early November 2026, according to Air Guide.

The agreement, announced Oct. 9, gives PIA additional long-haul capacity between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. For Norse, it brings another airline customer as the Norwegian carrier shifts more of its business toward operating aircraft for others, Air Guide reported.

There’s a useful distinction here for travelers: this is a capacity agreement, not yet a detailed flight launch announcement. The aircraft are intended for PIA’s network, but the final schedule remains subject to operational planning and regulatory requirements, according to Air Guide.

What the Norse Atlantic lease includes

The arrangement is an ACMI agreement, also known as a wet lease. The initials stand for aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance; Norse will provide all four rather than simply hand over the Dreamliners, according to Air Guide.

That makes this a different proposition from PIA buying aircraft and separately arranging the resources needed to fly them. Under the model described by Air Guide, Norse supplies the planes and operating resources, while PIA uses that capacity to serve its own network. PIA can add capacity without purchasing the aircraft outright or immediately adding planes and crews to its own operating structure.

For an airline seeking to expand selected services, that’s the appeal: access to aircraft comes with the operational support needed to deploy them. Air Guide notes that wet leases can also help airlines replace unavailable aircraft or meet capacity needs while longer-term fleet plans are developed.

The financial terms and duration of the PIA agreement were not disclosed in the announcement, Air Guide reported. Nor should the package be read as a promise that Norse bears every operating expense; the publication notes that the allocation of operating costs is determined by the contract.

PIA’s UK services get additional capacity

The two 787-9s are intended to support PIA’s international expansion and provide more direct travel options between Pakistan and the UK, according to Air Guide. The publication reported that PIA Chief Executive Amir Hayat has described the UK as an important market for the airline. Air Guide also points to established personal, family, business and tourism links between the countries.

The agreement is also expected to introduce Boeing 787 Dreamliners to PIA’s passenger operations for the first time, Air Guide reported. The publication describes the 787-9 as a long-haul widebody suited to international services requiring extended flight times without a stopover.

More aircraft can give an airline room to increase frequencies, add destinations or accommodate additional passengers. Those are possibilities, though, not a confirmed list of PIA’s plans. Air Guide says deployment will depend on the final operating schedule, with airport slots, regulatory approvals and other operational arrangements still relevant to getting services into the air.

For passengers, the meaningful improvement will be the flights those aircraft actually support. A new aircraft type is interesting; more available seats and useful departure times are what make the agreement matter when booking.

Why this contract matters to Norse

Norse has a different reason to welcome the agreement. Reuters reported Oct. 9 that the PIA lease was the latest move by the struggling Norwegian airline to shore up its finances. In an Oct. 7 report, Reuters said Norse had continued flying with reduced capacity in September as high fuel prices weighed on the carrier despite a rise in revenue.

Air Guide places the agreement within Norse’s increasing focus on ACMI contracts and its reduced exposure to parts of its low-cost transatlantic business. Rather than relying entirely on selling seats through its own scheduled network, the airline can earn fees by providing aircraft and operating services to other carriers.

That shift comes as another customer relationship winds down. Reuters reported July 31 that IndiGo would discontinue its widebody operations from Oct. 25 and conclude its damp-lease agreement with Norse on Oct. 31. Air Guide says the PIA agreement helps Norse redeploy aircraft and retain a presence in the ACMI market following IndiGo’s decision.

According to Air Guide, Norse operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and has been exploring additional ACMI opportunities. The publication also reported that the airline began a formal process in July to consider strategic options, including a possible sale or merger.

The PIA contract doesn’t resolve all of those financial pressures. It does, however, fit the direction Air Guide describes: securing more predictable revenue through airline contracts and reducing reliance on fluctuations in passenger demand.

Watch the PIA schedule, not just the aircraft announcement

For anyone planning Pakistan-UK travel in November, the next useful development is PIA’s published schedule. Air Guide advises passengers to consult the airline’s official schedules for confirmed routes, departure dates and booking availability.

Early November remains the expected start, not a confirmed departure date for a particular flight. The agreement supplies the aircraft and operating package; the schedule will show where travelers can actually use them. That’s the point at which a capacity announcement becomes a concrete booking option.