Norse Atlantic to lease two Boeing 787-9s to PIA

Norse Atlantic Airways has signed an ACMI agreement with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to provide two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, increasing PIA’s long-haul capacity between the UK and Pakistan to meet growing demand for direct flights.

Flight operations are expected to begin in early November 2026, connecting multiple destinations between the UK and Pakistan. Under the agreement, Norse will provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, supporting PIA’s route expansion while allowing Norse to redeploy capacity from its previous ACMI operation. The partnership reflects Norse’s Airline on Demand strategy, which serves long-haul travel demand through its own network and partnerships with other airlines.

“As previously communicated to the market, we deliver according to what we have said by now gradually redeploying capacity into new ACMI opportunities. We are pleased to support PIA’s long-haul capacity expansion and to strengthen connectivity between the UK and Pakistan by providing the large Pakistani community in the UK with more options for travel between the two countries. We see this as the start of a strategic partnership between the two companies,” said Eivind Roald, CEO of Norse Atlantic.

“Charter and ACMI agreements are integral to our balanced business model, enabling us to capture attractive capacity opportunities worldwide with a clear focus on utilisation, predictable cash flows, and long-term value creation,” he added.

“UK is an important market for PIA, and this agreement will allow us to expand the much-needed capacity and provide greater choice and connectivity for passengers travelling on these routes. We are pleased to partner with Norse Atlantic as we continue to strengthen our international network and respond to strong demand for direct travel between the two countries. This is the first set of Dreamliners that is being adopted by the Pakistani market, and we hope they will provide a dream journey to our valued guests who expect premium services from their national carrier,” said Amir Hayat, CEO, PIA.

Norse’s ‘Airline on Demand’ strategy focuses on deploying its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet across scheduled services, charter flights and ACMI agreements. This flexibility allows the airline to adjust capacity to market demand, seasonal changes, and new business opportunities. ACMI agreements with international carriers also provide an additional source of revenue and help reduce its exposure to fluctuations in passenger demand and fuel prices.

Following the PIA partnership, Norse is in active discussions with other major international airlines over potential additional ACMI agreements. The company said it would share further details as these discussions progress.