Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Dec. 2, 2024)

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.

Dec. 6

Air Canada will launch service between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Manilla in the Philippines. The route will kick off April 2, 2025, using a Boeing 787 aircraft. Air Canada noted the new service, to be flown 4X-weekly year-round, will mark its 12^th transpacific route from YVR, with the airline seeking to take advantage of Vancouver’s “geographic position as the closest major North American city to Asia.” The airline added: “Next summer Air Canada will offer over 180 weekly flights between Canada and the Pacific … This marks a continuation of Air Canada's expansion into fast-growing markets in Southeast Asia.” The carrier said the Philippines is “presently the largest market in Asia without direct Air Canada service.”

Delta Air Lines is bringing back its winter seasonal route connecting Detroit Metro Airport with Nassau, Bahamas, operating the service 1X-weekly from Dec. 21, 2024 to April 12, 2025. It is the only airline that serves the route, which has a roughly 3-hr fight time.

Caribbean Airlines opened service between Trinidad and Tabago and the island of Martinique. The route will be flown 4X-weekly. “Two of these flights will be nonstop, while the other two will operate via Barbados, providing increased connectivity options for passengers across the region,” the airline said in a statement.

Mexican ULCC Viva has launched service between Guadalajara International Airport and San Antonio International Airport (SAT) in Texas. Flights will operate 4X-weekly. Viva operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet. From SAT, Viva already serves its base in Monterrey, Mexico, as well as operating flights to Mexican destinations Leon, Mexico City, Queretaro and Torreon.

Dec. 5

Lufthansa Group airlines are adding several new destinations for summer 2025. Lufthansa plans to launch flights from Frankfurt to Lamezia Terme, Italy, starting April 6, with Sunday service, adding a Thursday flight from May 1. The airline will also introduce weekly Saturday flights to Figari, Corsica, beginning May 17. Additionally, Swiss will add Dubrovnik, Croatia, to its Zurich network from April 17, offering up to 5X-weekly flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Brussels Airlines will also debut flights from Brussels to Funchal, Madeira, on April 5, operating weekly on Saturdays.

Air Canada has unveiled its U.S. transborder schedule from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) for summer 2025, featuring three new routes and increased capacity on existing services. The additions bring the airline’s transborder network at YVR to 58 daily nonstop flights to 21 U.S. destinations, offering up to 7,700 seats per day, an 11% increase compared to summer 2024. New routes include seasonal service to Raleigh-Durham starting June 4, Tampa launching June 3 and Nashville beginning May 1. Capacity is also being expanded to Austin, Denver and Miami. “This will be the first time in YVR's history that our community has been directly connected to Raleigh-Durham, which is, like our region, a vibrant research, education and technology hub,” says VYR President and CEO Tamara Vrooman.

Dec. 4

Volotea is expanding at Bordeaux Airport (BOD), France, adding a new Airbus A320 to its base from May 2025 and launching five new routes. The LCC plans to commence a 4X-weekly service to Marseille from May 30, as well as a 2X-weekly route to Malta on the same day. From May 31, flights will start to Bari, Italy, and Alicante, Spain, operating 2X-weekly and 3X-weekly, respectively. A 2X-weekly operation to Alghero, Italy, will begin on July 4. The additional A320 will take Volotea’s fleet at BOD to three aircraft, increasing capacity by 38% in 2025 compared with this year.

Virgin Atlantic applied to the U.S. Transportation Department for a blanket statement of authorization to display Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS) designator code on Virgin-operated flights between the UK and any current or future U.S. gateways. The SkyTeam alliance members have already entered into a codeshare agreement on certain flights between the countries. “The proposed arrangement will stimulate demand, increase competition and increase consumer convenience by offering single-carrier reservations and ticketing,” the application from Virgin said.

Australia’s Jetstar has opened a domestic route connecting Cairns and Sunshine Coast. Flights will be offered up to four times per week. The LCC says it expects to provide more than 71,000 seats on the route annually.

Thai AirAsia X has resumed nonstop service between Bangkok at Don Mueang International Airport and Sydney Airport. The route will be served six times per week. “Operating from Don Mueang greatly enhances connectivity with AirAsia Group's extensive network, particularly to destinations in India, where there is a strong and growing demand for travel to Australia,” says Thai AirAsia X CEO Tassapon Bijleveld. The LCC currently operates a fleet of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft. Meanwhile, AirAsia has launched a 3X-weekly route between Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Dec. 3

Eurowings has announced an expanded summer 2025 schedule, offering 412 routes to 142 destinations in 36 countries between late March and October. New routes from Berlin include Bilbao, Spain; Corfu, Greece; Faro, Portugal; Newcastle, England; and Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, while Düsseldorf will see new flights to Ljubljana, Slovenia; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Preveza, Greece; Seville, Spain; and Warsaw, Poland. Cologne/Bonn will gain new connections to Erbil, Iraq; Klagenfurt, Austria; Bastia, France; and Madeira, Portugal. Eurowings is also introducing flights from Hamburg to destinations like Stockholm, Sweden; Barcelona and Málaga, Spain; and Kos, Greece, while Stuttgart will gain new routes to Malta and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Romanian airline AnimaWings will launch a new nonstop route from Bucharest to Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The new route will be operated twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, starting on March 2, 2025. The carrier will deploy Airbus A220 aircraft between the cities. “Stockholm is a vibrant destination, and we are confident that this route will enhance connectivity and foster cultural and economic exchange between Romania and Sweden,” AnimaWings Co-Founder Marius Pandel says.

China Airlines has launched its inaugural service between Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, connecting the two cities with Airbus A350 aircraft. The new route, operating as a seasonal extension of the airline’s Taipei-Melbourne service, will be served five times per week. “The additional flights bring much-needed competition to the trans-Tasman market, helping to drive down airfares and providing greater choice for passengers,” Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos says. Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Qantas also operate the route.

Spain’s Iberia has started flying from Madrid to Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria, Tromsø in Norway, and Rovaniemi in Finland. All four routes will be served during the winter season. “We are going to start operations this year with two weekly flights, and we hope to repeat or even increase these routes next year, as happened with Rovaniemi, which we inaugurated last year,” says Carmen Giraud, Iberia Sales Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Dec. 2

Thai Airways has resumed flights between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Brussels Airport (BRU), becoming the sole nonstop connection between Thailand and Belgium. Flights will be daily using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The airline previously served the route before the pandemic. “This connection is a significant addition to the airport's intercontinental network, serving as a major destination for both tourism and business travel,” BRU CEO Arnaud Feist says.

Tajikistan-based Somon Air has launched a route between Dushanbe and Doha. Operations will be weekly using Boeing 737-800 equipment. “With a flight duration of approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes from Dushanbe to Doha, this new connection underscores the importance of enhanced bilateral relations between Qatar and Tajikistan,” s statement from Doha’s Hamad International Airport says. “The route is expected to strengthen cooperation in cultural, humanitarian, economic, trade, and tourism sectors, further solidifying the ties between the two nations.”

Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines is adding scheduled service to Yichang Sanxia International Airport in China’s Hubei Province. Flights will commence on Dec. 17, operating three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Cathay Pacific has resumed flying to Christchurch Airport, New Zealand. The seasonal service will run four flights per week through to late February 2025, using Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. From March 2025, the airline will operate three flights per week with the A350-900 until the end of the month. “Our last seasonal service was a great success with over 16,000 customers flying with us, the majority of them travelling to Christchurch to explore the region,” Cathay Pacific Regional General Manager Southwest Pacific Frosti Lau says. “The new seasonal service, with its increased capacity and longer timeframe, will bring even more opportunity for travelers and cargo alike.”

IndiGo plans to launch a new route between Kolkata, India, and Phuket, Thailand. Service will start on Dec. 27, operating daily. The LCC already served Phuket from New Delhi. With this new route, IndiGo will now operate 93 weekly flights between India and Thailand.

Emirates has launched its double-daily service between Dubai and Perth Airport (PER), Australia, using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The second daily service is in addition to the airline’s existing Airbus A380 daily flights. “The return of this second daily service shows the commitment and confidence that Emirates has in the Western Australian market, and we will be working with the airline to ensure this second service is as popular as its current one,” PER Chief Commercial and Aviation Officer Kate Holsgrove says.

China’s Hainan Airlines has opened a route between Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Vienna Airport (VIE). Operations will be 3X-weekly aboard Airbus A330-300 aircraft. “The new flight offering emphasizes the role of Vienna Airport as an important bridge between Europe and Asia,” VIE Joint CEO and COO Julian Jäger says.