Islamabad, 9 October 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has signed a partnership agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways for two state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, marking a significant step towards expanding the national flag carrier’s international operations. The addition of the Dreamliners is expected to support PIA’s fleet expansion and enable the airline to meet growing passenger demand through direct long-haul flights and improved global connectivity. The aircraft are expected to join PIA’s fleet in November 2026 and will operate direct flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, facilitating travel between various destinations in both countries. Under the agreement, Norse Atlantic will provide the aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance services under the Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) arrangement. The partnership is expected to support PIA’s ambitious route expansion plans while allowing Norse Atlantic to redeploy aircraft returning to its fleet. Speaking at the signing ceremony, PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat said the United Kingdom remained an important market for the airline and that the agreement would help increase capacity on key routes while providing passengers with greater travel options and improved connectivity. He said PIA was pleased to partner with Norse Atlantic as it continued to strengthen its international network and respond to strong demand for direct travel between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. He also expressed hope that the introduction of the Dreamliners would provide passengers with an enhanced travel experience and premium services. Norse Atlantic Chief Executive Officer Eivind Roald said the company had been working to redeploy its aircraft capacity through new ACMI opportunities and that the agreement with PIA represented progress towards achieving this strategy. He said Norse Atlantic was pleased to support PIA’s long-haul capacity expansion and strengthen connectivity between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, providing the large Pakistani community residing in Britain with more travel options between the two countries. Roald described the agreement as the beginning of a strategic partnership between the two airlines, with the potential to strengthen cooperation and improve international air connectivity.