The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Dec. 20
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana will launch a new Airbus A321LR service between Almaty and Frankfurt on June 1, 2025, operating three times a week. The route will complement existing flights to Frankfurt from Astana and Uralsk, further strengthening the airline’s connectivity with Germany, which began in 2003.
Air Europa Express has applied to the U.S. Transportation Department for permission to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail between the EU under a codeshare arrangement with any authorized U.S. airline. The carrier has also applied for authorization to display Delta Air Lines’ DL code on flights within EU member states, between member states and the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA), and to destinations beyond the EU and ECAA. “Air Europa Express and Delta intend to implement this codeshare arrangement as soon as all governmental approvals are secured,” the application said.
EasyJet has announced two new routes from Paris Orly Airport (ORY) during summer 2025. From March 31, the LCC will offer a connection to Southampton (SOU), England, twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, marking its eighth route from SOU. From May 21, Lamezia Terme Airport (SUF), Italy, will also gain a 2X-weekly route to ORY on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Additionally, easyJet will commence a SUF-Nice route on June 23.
ASL Airlines France has announced the first part of its summer 2025 schedule, highlighting expanded services to Algeria and Morocco. The airline will operate daily flights to Algiers from Paris Orly, increase frequencies between Lyon and Algiers, and boost flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Béjaïa. To support the expanded schedule, aircraft will be based in Lille and Lyon. ASL will also resume service to Oujda, Morocco, with 2X-weekly flights from CDG and Strasbourg during school holidays.
Turkish Airlines has launched flights to Santiago, Chile, marking the 131st country in its network. The airline will operate four weekly flights connecting its Istanbul Airport hub and Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. However, service will not be nonstop, but instead will be a continuation of the carrier’s existing flights to São Paulo. “These flights will not only contribute to trade and tourism but also enhance cultural interaction between the two nations,” Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi says.
Melbourne Airport has welcomed Juneyao Airlines’ inaugural flight from Shanghai, marking the airline’s first service to Victoria. Operated by a Boeing 787-9, the route begins with 3X-weekly flights and will increase to daily service from January 2025. This new connection pushes Melbourne’s seat capacity in the Chinese market above pre-pandemic levels for the first time, with total international capacity now 13% higher than 2019 figures.
Volotea is expanding its presence at Paris Orly Airport with the launch of a new route to Alghero, Sardinia, starting March 31, 2025. The service will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. The carrier has also secured 13 additional frequencies, enhancing its summer schedule with increased flights to Italian destinations. These include Olbia (four weekly flights), Turin (two weekly flights) and Verona (daily service).
Air Arabia Maroc has introduced a 2X-weekly service to Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) from Fes, Morocco, while Romania’s HiSky has launched a 2X-weekly service to BGY from Oradea. Additionally, Norwegian will debut weekly flights to BGY from Harstad/Narvik in northern Norway on Dec. 23, offering access to the Lofoten Islands and northern lights. Flydubai has also increased BGY-Dubai frequencies to up to 10X-weekly from Dec. 16 through mid-January, catering to peak holiday demand.
Dec. 19
Wizz Air is increasing its base at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Poland. The airline will station a further two Airbus A321neos at the base in summer 2025, taking its fleet there to 14 aircraft. The move will enable the ULCC to launch four new routes to Bucharest-Băneasa, Romania; Dortmund, Germany; and Genoa and Pisa, Italy. A further 15 routes will see increased frequencies. Overall, Wizz will add four aircraft in Poland next summer, expanding its Polish fleet to 34 aircraft and increasing capacity by 10%.
Starlux Airlines is expanding its North American footprint by increasing flight frequencies to Los Angeles and Seattle. From Dec. 22, the carrier will begin operating 10 flights per week between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and Los Angeles International Airport, up from the daily service at present. Flights from TPE to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will rise to daily from March 1, 2025.
Air Corsica is launching a new route between Nice and Florence. Flights will start on June 27, 2025, operating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays using ATR 72-600 aircraft. The airline will be the sole operator of scheduled service between the destinations.
Germany’s Discover Airlines has opened a route between Frankfurt Airport and Kittilä Airport, Finland. The carrier will operate the route twice a week year-round. Kittilä is located a few kilometers from the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland. It becomes the fifth destination in the airline's Nordics portfolio.
Icelandair and ITA Airways have signed a codeshare agreement. The partnership will open connections via Rome, between Iceland and numerous ITA destinations including Bologna, Florence, Venice and Naples. ITA Airways and Icelandair plan to further expand their partnership, adding new connections via the two airlines' common major European gateways. “The codeshare agreement with ITA will offer our customers very convenient connections between the two airlines' networks,” Icelandair President and CEO Bogi Nils Bogason says.
Dec. 18
Porter Airlines plans to open a domestic service In Canada linking Toronto Pearson International Airport and Kelowna International Airport (YLW). Flights begin on May 14, 2025, initially operating five times per week before increasing to daily from June 23. Kelowna will be the third city in British Columbia that Porter serves with its 132-seat Embraer 195-E2 aircraft, complementing existing flights to Vancouver and Victoria. “Porter Airlines' decision to expand its services to Kelowna is a significant milestone for our community,” YLW CEO Sam Samaddar says. “This new route not only enhances connectivity between Kelowna and Toronto but also opens up new opportunities for tourism and business in the Okanagan Valley.”
Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines has commenced its first scheduled service to Yichang in China’s Hubei province. This follows the recent launch of routes to Zhoushan and Huangshan in China. Flights to Yichang will be offered three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
South African Airways has increased the number of services between Johannesburg and Perth, Australia, to 4X-weekly. The carrier plans to add a fifth frequency in January. “The increase to five services per week on the airline's Airbus A340-300 aircraft will result in 131,560 seats being available on the route per year which is a massive bump to the Perth market,” Perth Airport's Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer Kate Holsgrove says. "This is great news for Perth and Western Australian residents who have family connections in South Africa and for those looking to travel and explore the African continent.”
Belarus carrier Belavia has launched its first route to China, connecting Minsk and Urumqi. Flights will be weekly using Boeing 737-800 equipment, according to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser. Belavia General Director Igor Cherginets says the carrier plans to open flights to other cities in China during 2025.
Ukraine’s SkyUp Airlines plans to offer eight routes from Chisinau, Moldova, starting in April 2025. The carrier suspended operations in February 2022 following the Russian invasion and obtained a Maltese air operator certificate in 2023. SkyUp says it selected Chisinau Airport as it is one of the closest international hubs near the Ukrainian border. “We are committed to ensuring Ukrainian aviation remains resilient and making travel easier for Ukrainians around the world,” CEO Dmytro Seroukhov adds. The airline initially plans to fly three times per week to Heraklion and Larnaca. A 2X-weekly service will be offered to Alicante, Palma de Mallorca and Paris Beauvais, while Barcelona, Lisbon and Thessaloniki will be served once a week. Frequencies to Heraklion will later increase to 4X-weekly and Barcelona will become 3X-weekly.
Edelweiss has finalized its 2025 summer schedule, adding seven new destinations from Zurich and increasing flight frequencies across its network. New routes include Bristol, England (2X-weekly from June 2); Calvi, Corsica (weekly from July 6); Halifax, Canada (2X-weekly from July 3); Seattle (2X-weekly from June 2); Terceira, Azores (weekly from June 25); Tbilisi, Georgia (2X-weekly from April 12); and Zadar, Croatia (2X-weekly from June 28).
Canada’s Flair Airlines has launched its second new route to Orlando following the introduction of flights from Kitchener/Waterloo in October. The carrier now offers daily service between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Orlando International Airport (MCO) through April 22, 2025. Additionally, Flair plans to begin flights from London International Airport (YXU) to MCO on Dec. 20, followed by service from Saint John Airport (YSJ) on Dec. 22. Operations from YXU will be 2X-weekly through April 21, while YSJ-MCO will be served once a week until April 20.
Dec. 17
TAP Air Portugal will resume flights to Porto Alegre, the capital of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, on April 1, 2025. The route will have three weekly flights, operated using an Airbus A330-900neo, which has a capacity of 298 passengers. Operations to Porto Alegre were suspended in May following severe floods in Rio Grande do Sul that damaged Salgado Filho International Airport. “With the resumption of the offer of direct flights between the southernmost capital of Brazil and Europe, TAP fulfills the commitment it made on the date it was forced to suspend this connection and is pleased with the reopening of Porto Alegre airport to international flights,” the carrier said in a statement.
Cathay Pacific has resumed flights between Hong Kong and Cairns, Australia. The airline will operate three flights per week using Airbus A330s through March 29, 2025—a peak period encompassing both the Christmas and Chinese New Year festive holidays. “Just over a year ago, a delegation from Tropical North Queensland visited Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong to discuss the road to their return,” says Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker. “Now, we are celebrating the vital first step in reestablishing our long-running partnership.”
EasyJet has launched a new route from Birmingham, England, to Innsbruck, Austria. The route will operate once a week on Sundays until late March. The LCC opened a base at Birmingham Airport in March 2024 and recently announced new routes to Gran Canaria and Malta for the summer 2025 season.
Delta Air Lines will resume its seasonal daily route between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport (GIG) from Dec. 20 to March 27, 2025, using Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 215 seats. Additionally, flights to GIG from Atlanta will increase to daily service with larger Airbus A330-300 aircraft from Dec. 19 to March 31.
Denver-based ULCC Frontier Airlines has launched service at Colorado’s Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), introducing 2X-weekly flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport. Weekly service to San Francisco International Airport begins Dec. 21. “There is strong demand across the country for ultra-low fare travel to the Rockies, and we are thrilled to debut at EGE just in time for the peak ski and snowboard season,” says Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design at Frontier.
Dec. 16
Etihad Airways has launched a new route connecting Abu Dhabi and Nairobi, Kenya. Flights will be 4X-weekly using Airbus A320 aircraft. “The introduction of our Nairobi service enhances our growing network while responding to strong travel demand between the UAE and Kenya, as demonstrated by today's completely full inaugural flight,” says Etihad Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De. This launch is part of Etihad's broader network expansion, with plans to introduce 13 new destinations in 2025, including Warsaw, Prague, Taipei and Tunis.
Air Arabia will launch weekly service between Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, starting Dec. 27. Flights will operate every Friday using Airbus A320 aircraft, with departures from Ras Al Khaimah at 9:10 a.m. and return flights from Tashkent at 2:40 p.m. The addition brings the number of destinations served from Ras Al Khaimah to eight, including Moscow, Cairo and Islamabad. “This new route reflects our commitment to developing our tourism offering from Ras Al Khaimah and continuously offering our passengers reliable and affordable air travel options,” says Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali.
IndiGo has announced four new codeshare connections to the U.S.—Houston, Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles—via Istanbul, starting Dec. 18, 2024. These additions, in partnership with Turkish Airlines, expand IndiGo's U.S. reach to nine destinations. “These new connections further enhance travel options for our customers, in addition to the current New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco,” says IndiGo Head of Global Sales Vinay Malhotra.
Italy’s Aeroitalia has resumed operations at Trapani Birgi Airport with the launch of two new domestic routes to Parma and Cuneo. Both routes will operate twice weekly using Embraer 175 aircraft, carrying up to 88 passengers. The relaunch of flights from Trapani comes after a two-year hiatus and coincides with Aeroitalia’s participation in the Sicilian Region’s initiative offering a 50% discount on airfares for direct flights to and from Sicily between Dec. 7 and Jan. 6, 2025.
WestJet has launched a route connecting Toronto Pearson International Airport and Maurice Bishop International Airport, Grenada. Flights will operate once a week through April 27, 2025. “This connection expands access to one of the most sought-after Caribbean destinations,” says WestJet Vice-President of Network and Schedule Planning Daniel Fajardo.
Qatar Airways will resume daily flights to Canberra, Australia, in December 2025. The service will operate from Doha’s Hamad International Airport via Melbourne, using Boeing 777 aircraft. “This service not only provides over a million residents access to a global network spanning more than 170 destinations, but also invites the world to rediscover Canberra's unique cultural, educational and tourism offerings,” says Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron.
Starting Jan. 16, 2025, Air India’s retrofitted Airbus A320neo aircraft will serve New Delhi-Bangkok flights. Additionally, a fourth daily service on the route will commence Jan. 1. From Jan. 1, the airline will also deploy Vistara A321neo and Boeing 787-9 aircraft on two routes from New Delhi and two from Mumbai. New Delhi-Frankfurt and Mumbai-Frankfurt will now operate using 787-9s, while New Delhi-Singapore will be served once a day with 787-9s and twice a day with A321neos. Mumbai-Singapore will also receive 2X-daily A321neo service.
Malaysia Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways have reinstated their codeshare partnership, enhancing connectivity between Southeast Asia and Central Asia. Malaysia Airlines will introduce its MH flight code on Uzbekistan Airways’ Tashkent–Kuala Lumpur route, marking the carrier’s first entry into Central Asia. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan Airways will place its HY flight code on several Malaysia Airlines routes, offering passengers access to popular Southeast Asian destinations like Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu via Kuala Lumpur.
Frontier Airlines has restarted operations at Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) with the launch of nonstop service to Denver International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. Both routes began Dec. 13, 2024, and operate three times per week. With its return to PSP, Frontier now serves nine California markets. “Frontier's return marks another step forward in our commitment to providing travelers with greater choice, value and convenience,” says PSP Executive Director Harry Barrett Jr.
South Africa’s Airlink has confirmed the introduction of a Johannesburg-Kinshasa route, enhancing connectivity to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Flights will be 3X-weekly from March 28, 2025. Additionally, the airline will commence a Cape Town-Gaborone route from April 1, also operating three times per week.
Related Content
