The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
April 19
JetSMART plans add a further seven domestic routes in Colombia, as well as one new international service. The LCC, which operated its first domestic flights in the country in March, will offer a new route from Medellín to San Andrés with five weekly flights. It has also announced plans to fly from Pereira to Santa Marta and Medellín. Alongside the four other additions, which have yet to be confirmed, the airline will expand its Colombian domestic network from eight to 15 destinations. Additionally, the carrier says it will commence flights from Pereira to Lima, Peru. JetSMART has also confirmed the arrival of two Airbus A320s, increasing its fleet to 37 aircraft. The airline plans to incorporate three new aircraft in May, June and July to operate in the Colombian market.
Avelo has been granted permission by the U.S. Transportation Department to operate scheduled flights from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The authorization is effective through April 15, 2026. The Mexican approval also covers routes from Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio to Mexico City, Toluca and Acapulco—as well as to points in Panama and beyond, alongside from New York, Washington, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Houston to Mexico City, Toluca and more, and to a point or points in Central and/or South America.
Romanian airline HiSky says it has obtained a foreign air carrier license from the Canadian Transportation Agency, granting it permission to operate flights. This makes Canada the second North American country after the U.S. to authorize the carrier to establish regular routes. “We are extremely close to the first direct flight from Bucharest to New York after more than 20 years, and the news of obtaining the license for flights to Canada supports our strategy to increase the number of long-haul routes,” HiSky CEO Iulian Scorpan says.
Air Canada has confirmed plans to launch a new route between Montréal and Seoul Incheon. Flights will commence on June 18, operating four times per week using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The route is one of 15 new international services being launched by the airline during the summer 2024 season. International capacity is set to rise by 8% compared to summer 2023.
Indian startup FLY91 has operated its inaugural flights from Goa’s Manohar International Airport to Agatti and Jalgaon. The airline will fly to Agatti on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, rising to daily from May 1. Goa-Jalgaon will be served on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Volotea has opened a new base at Brest Bretagne Airport, France, and launched new services from the airport to Faro, Portugal, Menorca, Spain, and Rome. The base is the LCC’s ninth in France, where it will station one Airbus A320. The airline says it also plans to add a new route to Strasbourg in winter 2024-25.
April 18
Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas is expanding operations to Bogotá, its newest international destination. Fresh from launching flights between São Paulo/Guarulhos and Buenos Aires Ezeiza via the Colombian capital, the airline has announced its intention to establish flights connecting Brasília and Bogotá from Oct. 27. GOL has already started the necessary procedures to obtain slots for flights between the cities and is awaiting authorization from the regulatory bodies of both countries. “The expansion of our offer of international flights is one of the company's goals for 2024 and Bogotá, with its strategic position of connection between countries in South and North America ... reinforces our commitment to the democratization of transport on the continent,” GOL CEO Celso Ferrer says.
Icelandic carrier Play is to launch a limited run of flights between Reykjavik and Cardiff Airport, Wales. The first service will depart on Oct. 10, operating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays using Airbus A320neo aircraft. Service continues until Nov. 20. However, flights will be adjusted to Thursdays and Sundays during the initial week and Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the last week to accommodate two UEFA Nations League soccer matches between Iceland and Wales.
Turkish Airlines is opening a new route connecting Istanbul Airport and Turin, Italy. Daily flights will begin on July 10 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Andrea Andorno, CEO of Torino Airport, says: “The opening of the route to Istanbul by Turkish Airlines represents a great value for Turin network expansion. It adds a hub toward the east which, thanks to its geographical location, represents an excellent transit point for connections.”
HK Express plans to begin flying to Hainan's Sanya Phoenix International Airport in China from May 10. The route from Hong Kong will be served four times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
China’s Sichuan Airlines has resumed operations to Auckland, New Zealand, after a four-year absence. The service from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport means that Auckland Airport is connected to seven destinations in China by six airlines, collectively flying 36 times a week and representing seat capacity recovery of 115% compared to 2019 levels. “We are seeing that Chinese airlines have confidence in the travel market between New Zealand and China, bringing high-value Chinese visitors who see us as a highly attractive destination to visit,” AKL CEO Scott Tasker says.
AirAsia X has restored service between Kuala Lumpur and Xi'an, China. Flights will be offered three times per week. “The resumption of services will act as a catalyst to boost tourism and trade opportunities, in addition to supporting the government's visa-free initiatives,” Consul General of Malaysia to Xi'an Lum Wan Liang says. Xi'an is the airline's fifth direct route to China.
April 17
Starting Aug. 10, American Airlines is opening a new route between Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina and Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB). This route joins the carrier’s existing flights to Québec City to Philadelphia and Chicago. Service between CLT and YQB will operate once a week on Saturdays until Nov. 2. “This new route aligns with our mission to give greater Québec City area travelers even more options, and to provide better connections to destinations such as the Caribbean, Europe, and the whole of the U.S.,” YQB President and CEO Stéphane Poirier says.
HK Express is expanding its Philippines network with the launch of a second route to the country. Flights between Hong Kong and Clark will start on June 6, operating four times per week. Clark joins Manila as the second destination served by the airline in the Philippines. HK Express will compete on the sector with Cebu Pacific, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
Aerolineas Argentinas is increasing frequencies between Argentina and Brazil after the two countries forged a memorandum of understanding to expand air service. The airline plans to operate 95 weekly services during July and August, up by 12% on the same period last year. Routes include a daily Bariloche-Sao Paulo service and a 2X-weekly San Martin de Los Andes-Sao Paulo flight. “Brazil is the first international market in terms of number of passengers for Aerolíneas Argentinas, and we have a great opportunity to provide more and better options to attract tourists to the more than 35 destinations we have in our country,” CCO Fabián Lombardo says.
April 16
LATAM Airlines Group plans to reintroduce nonstop service between Chile’s capital Santiago and Sydney. Flights will operate four times per week from Oct. 28. The carrier launched direct flights between the cities in 2019, but paused service at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Operations resumed via Auckland in March 2022 with three weekly services. The nonstop route has a flight time of 12 hr. 50 min. using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. “From October, passengers can choose from daily direct services between Australia and Chile, including four direct flights from Sydney and three from Melbourne every week, in addition to our flights via Auckland,” says Chris Ellis, LATAM Airlines country manager for Oceania.
Pacific Coastal Airlines is opening a new Canadian domestic route between Kelowna and Comox. Flights will start on June 25, operating six times per week using Beechcraft 1900 equipment. “The announcement of this new direct flight to Comox means yet another link for Kelowna to Vancouver Island, which further enhances regional connectivity and provides more opportunities for economic growth,” Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas says. Pacific Coastal Airlines also serves Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island from Kelowna.
IndiGo is adding a new route between Chandigarh, India, and Abu Dhabi. Operations will begin on May 15 with daily flights. “With the addition of these flights, IndiGo will now operate 63 weekly flights to Abu Dhabi from nine cities in India, promoting travel, trade, tourism and fostering the abundant socio-cultural diversity between the two countries,” says Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo head of global sales.
El Al Israel Airlines has inaugurated a new service to Florida. Flights between Tel Aviv and Fort Lauderdale will operate twice a week using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The new route means the airline now serves six destinations in the U.S., according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
April 15
LOT Polish Airlines is opening a new public service obligation route between Warsaw and Oradea, Romania. The carrier will launch flights on June 3, operating four times per week using Embraer E170 and E175 aircraft, capable of accommodating 76-86 passengers. Should demand surge, LOT may deploy E190s and E195s on the sector. “Oradea is the third Romanian destination within LOT Polish Airlines' scheduled network, after Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. Residents of the Bihor region will not only enjoy a connection to Warsaw, but also easy transfers to ports in Poland, Western Europe and North America,” says Robert Ludera, LOT network development director. LOT will receive subsidies for four years to operate commercial flights between Warsaw and Oradea.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italian airline Neos. The partnership will include a codeshare agreement under which Air Astana will add its marketing code to Neos-operated flights between Milan Malpensa and Almaty and vice versa, as well as service collaboration on Boeing aircraft from 2025, when Air Astana Group will receive delivery of three Boeing 787-900s. The parties will also consider and evaluate the formation of a joint venture for routes between Italy and Kazakhstan, where regulatory, anti-trust and governmental authority permits.
Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) has confirmed that Nile Air plans to introduce a 3X-weekly service from Cairo starting on June 28. Flights will operate using Airbus A320 aircraft on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. “This service not only facilitates nonstop travel to Egypt’s historic capital, but also offers convenient onward connections to several destinations in the Gulf,” a statement issued by BGY says. Seven airlines will now operate between Milan Bergamo and North Africa, offering more than 660,000 seats annually to travelers.
Brazil and the UK have signed a new air services agreement. The move allows airlines from each country to freely determine the offering of bilateral flights for passengers and cargo. It also provides additional traffic rights for cargo services, allow enabling cargo airlines to operate to and from third countries. “The new agreement, which will be forwarded for consideration to the National Congress, will provide greater legal certainty for companies operating routes between Brazil and the UK, thereby contributing to increasing bilateral trade and tourism flow,” a statement from Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says.
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