The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Aug. 16
JetBlue Airways and Tradewind Aviation have signed an interline partnership. The agreement allows passengers to book a single ticket for flights from over a dozen U.S. cities in JetBlue’s network to Caribbean locations such as Anguilla, St. Barths, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda. It also connects Tradewind passengers to JetBlue’s network via Antigua, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and St Thomas.
Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific is set to enhance international travel from the Visayas and Mindanao regions by adding two routes later this year. Starting Oct. 27, the LCC will offer 4X-weekly flights between Davao and Hong Kong, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Additionally, flights between Iloilo and Singapore will operate from Nov. 25, with service three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Thai Lion Air has opened a new route to India with the launch of flights connecting Bangkok Don Mueang and Ahmedabad. Service commenced on Aug. 15 and will operate four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The carrier will compete with Thai AirAsia on the route, according to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser. Thai Lion Air says it expects to receive five additional aircraft during the second half of the year, enabling service between Bangkok Don Mueang and Tokyo Narita, via Taipei, to be increased from 5X to 6X-weekly alongside the launch of more international routes.
Emerald Airlines, the operator of Aer Lingus Regional, has announced an expansion of its Aberdeen to Dublin service, offering up to two flights per day starting this September. The increased frequency aims to provide greater convenience and flexibility for passengers traveling between Scotland and Ireland.
Air Serbia will resume flights between Belgrade and Nice starting Sept. 19. The carrier will operate the route twice a week, with flights scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays. It initially launched the route as a seasonal service in June 2019. “Bringing this city back into our growing network of destinations enables a fast and comfortable link, as well as good connections from Nice via Belgrade to a large number of cities around the world,” Air Serbia general manager commercial and strategy Boško Rupić says.
Aug. 15
HK Express plans to open a new route connecting Hong Kong and Penang, Malaysia. Flights will start on Nov. 21, operating daily. “We are delighted to launch a new route from Hong Kong to Penang, which not only marks a milestone of HK Express' entry into the Malaysian market, but also our strategic deployment in connecting Hong Kong with the rest of Asia,” HK Express CEO Jeanette Mao says. AirAsia and Cathay Pacific currently operate the route, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
Etihad and Egyptair are expanding their codeshare agreement. The airlines say the partnership improves connectivity from Cairo onwards to Africa and beyond Abu Dhabi into Asia. Etihad will place its code on an additional 17 Egyptair services from Cairo to destinations including Accra, Ghana; Entebbe, Uganda; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. In turn, Egyptair will place its code on a further 11 destinations served by Etihad from Abu Dhabi including Bali, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Osaka, Japan; and Sydney, Australia. Additionally, Etihad has confirmed that it will operate Airbus A380s to Mumbai between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana will launch a new service from Almaty to Phu Quoc in Vietnam on Oct. 28. Service will initially run twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays using Airbus A321LR aircraft before doubling to 4X-weekly in December. Entry into Vietnam became visa-free for Kazakh citizens in May this year.
Mexican ULCC Volaris is starting a new daily service between Monterrey International Airport and San Antonio International Airport (SAT). The year-round route will launch on Nov. 3. “Monterrey shares many important cultural, educational and business ties with San Antonio. This a win-win for our customers,” says Jesus Saenz, director of airports, City of San Antonio Aviation Department. Volaris has been operating from SAT since December 2013.
Indonesia AirAsia has launched a 3X-weekly service between Bali and Cairns, Australia, using Airbus A320 equipment. The route is expected to provide 28,000 seats into the Cairns market in its first year. “Having a new direct route into Cairns from Denpasar opens up the Far North to more tourists and international students from across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand,” Queensland tourism minister and member for Cairns Michael Healy says.
Aug. 14
Jetstar Asia will become the first LCC to offer direct flights from Singapore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, with service beginning on Nov. 21. The airline will operate five return flights per week using its Airbus A320 fleet, providing more than 90,000 low-fare seats annually between the two cities. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Singapore Airlines and SriLankan Airlines also operate this route.
Beginning Oct. 27, Indian LCC IndiGo will offer a new daily flight from Coimbatore to Singapore. The airline will also increase frequencies on its Chennai-Singapore and Chennai-Colombo routes to daily service beginning Oct. 15. Additionally, IndiGo will boost its Mumbai-Kuwait route to four times weekly starting Oct. 29. With the launch of these new routes and frequencies, IndiGo now provides 908 direct flights a week from Chennai to 48 destinations, 141 weekly flights from Coimbatore to seven destinations and 1,292 weekly flights from Mumbai to 72 destinations.
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com has extended the summer '24 season to Bodrum, Turkey, following strong demand. The airline has added a 2X-weekly service from both Birmingham and Leeds Bradford between Nov. 6-13; a 3X-weekly service from Manchester between Nov. 5-17; and a 3X-weekly service from London Stansted between Nov. 4-17.
Caribbean Airlines has announced the launch of a new route to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, starting on Oct. 14. The carrier says the new service is part of its strategic plan to strengthen connectivity within the Caribbean region and expand its network. The route will operate four times a week from the airline's base in Trinidad. “Our new service to Tortola is a significant step in our growth strategy, and we are committed to providing seamless travel experiences for our passengers,” Caribbean Airlines CEO Garvin Medera says. “By the end of this year, Caribbean Airlines will link the Spanish, French, Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean with each other, as well as the North American diaspora, and business and leisure travelers who wish to explore our vibrant region.”
Delta Air Lines is opening a new nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Palm Springs International Airport. Flights will start on Dec. 21 and run through May 3, 2025. The seasonal Saturday-only route will be operated using Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Mexican ULCC Viva Aerobus is launching a new domestic route between Nuevo Laredo and Guadalajara. Flights will be offered daily from Sept. 1.
Aug. 13
Avelo Airlines announced continued expansion at southern Connecticut’s Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) with a new 2X-weekly nonstop route to New Orleans starting Nov. 14 and increased service to Puerto Rico this winter. Beginning Nov. 8, Avelo will double its frequency of flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to four per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The carrier also plans to dedicate eight Boeing 737-800s to HVN this winter.
Latvian airline airBaltic will expand its operations in Vilnius with a new direct route to Dusseldorf, Germany, starting Oct. 31, 2024. The year-round service will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, connecting Vilnius to its fourth German destination, alongside Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. This new route is part of a risk-sharing cooperation with Lithuanian Airports. “By closely monitoring market trends and passenger demand, we believe that the flights between Vilnius and Dusseldorf will be a strategically important route for Lithuania, as Germany is one of the country’s most significant economic partners,” airBaltic president and CEO Martin Gauss says.
AirAsia is launching a new route to Port Blair, India, from Kuala Lumpur starting Nov. 16. The airline will operate three flights per week, becoming the first in ASEAN carrier to offer international service to and from Port Blair. This marks AirAsia's 17th route to India, with a total of 97 weekly flights from cities like Amritsar and Chennai.
Philippines-based LCC Cebu Pacific is adding its seventh domestic destination from Clark. Starting Oct. 27, the airline will offer daily flights to Tagbilaran, the capital of the province of Bohol. Cebu Pacific recently resumed direct flights between Clark and four other domestic destinations—Davao, General Santos, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa. The carrier also operates flights to Caticlan and Cebu in the Philippines, as well as international destinations including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo Narita.
Aeroitalia has opened a base at Bacau International Airport (BCM), Romania. Bacau will be the carrier’s eighth operational base and its first outside Italy. The airline flies from the airport to three destinations in Italy, serving Rome Fiumicino, Milan Bergamo and Cuneo. “The opening of this operational base will significantly contribute to the development of the route network and facilitate additional air connections, both for passengers in the region and for those traveling for business or tourism,” a statement from BCM says.
LOT Polish Airlines plans to open a new 3X-weekly service between Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) and Tenerife Sur Airport (TFS). Flights will start on Nov. 27, operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Boeing 737-8 aircraft. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Wizz Air serves WAW-TFS three times per week at the present time.
Aug. 12
Etihad is adding Airbus A380 service to Singapore from next February, as well as increasing frequencies to Thailand. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will start operating A380s to Singapore Changi Airport from Feb. 1, 2025, which will become the fourth destination to receive Etihad A380s. The airline already offers A380 service to London and New York. Etihad A380 operations to Paris are to start from Nov. 1. The carrier is scheduled to enter its sixth A380 aircraft into service by the start of 2025. Additionally, frequencies to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi will rise from 18X-weekly to 3X-daily from Oct. 27, and service to Phuket will rise from 2X-daily to 20X-weekly from the same date.
American Airlines has commenced service between North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), Canada, operating once a week using CRJ 900 equipment until Nov. 2. The route becomes the airline’s third to YQB alongside flights from Chicago O'Hare and Philadelphia. “This weekly flight will facilitate access to Québec City for U.S. tourists, and, since Charlotte is a major American Airlines hub, it will also increase connectivity to destinations including the Caribbean, Europe, and the entire U.S.,” YQB president and CEO Stéphane Poirier says.
Starting on Nov. 11, Delta Air Lines will offer nonstop service from Boston Logan International Airport to San Antonio International Airport. Flights will operate daily, year-round. Jesus Saenz, director of airports at the City of San Antonio Aviation Department, says: “Delta’s performance at SAT has been significant. The airline has seen a staggering 20% increase in total departing seats compared to pre-pandemic and Boston is their seventh destination from San Antonio.”
Russian carrier Aeroflot is adding three routes to Hainan, China. Flights from Vladivostok will operate 3X-weekly from Sept. 2, followed by a 2X-weekly service from Khabarovsk starting on Sept. 3, and a 2X-weekly route from Novosibirsk from Sept. 5. Operations will use Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Aeroflot Group also flies to Hainan from Moscow, Krasnoyarsk and Yekaterinburg.
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