PIA Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner lands in Islamabad: seats, lease and UK routes
PIA's first Boeing 787-9 landed in Islamabad on Sunday as flight PK786 from London. Who owns it, how many seats, and which routes it will fly.
Pakistan International Airlines’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landed at Islamabad International Airport on Sunday, 1 November, flying in from London as flight PK786. It is the first 787 ever flown by a Pakistani airline, which is why “pia boeing 787 9” shot up Google searches in Pakistan the same day.
PIA chief executive Air Vice Marshal Aamir Hayat and his team were on the tarmac to receive it.
Does PIA own the Dreamliner?
No. The plane is leased from Norway’s Norse Atlantic Airways under an agreement signed in October that covers two Boeing 787-9s. It is an ACMI deal, short for aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, the kind of “wet lease” airlines use to add capacity quickly without buying jets. This is the first of the two.
That detail matters because in September the government said it was not buying aircraft for PIA, after reports about state-linked financing for new jets.
How many seats and what is on board?
Boeing rates the 787-9 for up to 325 passengers in a typical layout and a range of about 15,000 km, enough to fly Pakistan to the UK non-stop with room to spare. PIA has not yet published its own seat map for this aircraft. The airline says passengers get in-flight entertainment and a roomier, quieter cabin than on its older jets.
Which routes will it fly?
PIA said the Dreamliner will run direct long-haul flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, linking UK cities with Pakistani ones. Those routes reopened for PIA only after UK safety restrictions were lifted, and they carry the airline’s most loyal customers: British Pakistani families travelling home.
“The inclusion of the Dreamliner is part of a strategy to modernise the fleet and strengthen the international network,” a PIA spokesperson said.
Why people are excited
Until now PIA’s fleet has been 12 Boeing 777s, 15 Airbus A320s and five small ATR turboprops, many of them old. The 787 is the plane most Gulf and European carriers use on the same routes, so for passengers it is a visible sign of change.
It also comes a year into PIA’s new life as a private company. In December 2025 a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation bought 75% of the airline for Rs135 billion and promised new aircraft and better service. The Dreamliner is the first big step most passengers will actually feel.
What to watch next
The second Norse Atlantic 787-9 is due to follow, and PIA is expected to publish the Dreamliner’s weekly UK schedule and seat options. Fares on the new jet have not been announced.
