ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced an “air-to-rail” travel partnership with major rail networks in Canada and the United Kingdom, allowing passengers to continue their journeys by train on a single ticket, the national carrier announced on Tuesday.
Under the new arrangement, passengers flying with PIA to Toronto can connect onward to eight major Canadian cities through partner rail services. Similarly, travelers arriving in London and Manchester will be able to access more than 50 destinations across the UK via rail. PIA said the integrated booking system removes the need for separate rail reservations.
Passengers can book combined air and rail tickets through PIA booking offices, registered travel agents, the airline’s official website, and its mobile application. The initiative follows PIA’s resumption of UK flight operations in October last year, ending a suspension of more than five years after restrictions linked to the fake pilot licence scandal were lifted in July.
The airline had earlier estimated losses of around Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually due to the ban. In December 2025, a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited acquired a 75% stake in PIA for Rs135 billion as part of the airline’s privatisation process.
The successful sale marked a turnaround from a failed attempt a year earlier, driven by improved operational conditions and the lifting of EU and UK flight bans imposed after the fatal 2020 Karachi plane crash that killed 97 people.
