The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
July 19
Dominican Republic-based ULCC Arajet has commenced ticket sales for seven routes from its planned base at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). Reservations are now available for service to Cancun and Mexico City, Mexico; Lima, Peru; Montreal and Toronto, Canada; Santiago, Chile; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The first flights will take place on Oct. 27. The airline, which operates a hub in Santo Domingo, intends to open a base at PUJ after establishing an alliance with airport operator Grupo PuntaCana. PUJ will become the carrier’s third domestic destination. The carrier has applied to serve 20 destinations from the new base.
Aeromexico is increasing capacity to Tampa International Airport (TPA), Florida. The airline, which launched daily nonstop service from Mexico City on July 1, plans to switch operations from an Embraer E190 to a Boeing 737-8 from Oct. 27. In a statement, TPA says the change to 737-8 service will be permanent—as long as passenger traffic supports it.
Austrian Airlines plans to launch a route connecting Linz and Frankfurt this winter. Service will operate up to three times per day from Oct. 27. The route will be operated using BRA - Braathens Regional Airlines' ATR 72-600 aircraft. Michael Trestl, CCO of Austrian Airlines, said the route would connect upper Austria with Europe and the world through the Frankfurt hub, increasing both business and leisure traffic from the region.
July 18
EasyJet is launching four new routes from three UK airports, including adding flights to Luxor in Egypt for the first time in more than a decade. The move increases the LCC’s winter 2024-25 schedule to 41 new routes. Flights to Luxor will launch on Nov. 11 from London Gatwick, with two departures per week on Mondays and Thursdays. The airline is also launching a seasonal route to Sharm El Sheik in Egypt from Liverpool on Feb. 14, 2025, operating twice a week. Additionally, easyJet plans to introduce two new routes to Oslo from Manchester, England, from Nov. 15 and Liverpool from Nov. 29. Both will be 2X-weekly.
Indian LCC IndiGo plans to open three new routes to Abu Dhabi. Flights from the city of Mangaluru will operate daily from Aug. 9, while a 3X-weekly service from Coimbatore will begin the next day. The third route from Tiruchirappalli starts on Aug. 11 and will be offered four times per week. The additions follow IndiGo’s recent announcement to launch a 6X-weekly Bengaluru-Abu Dhabi route from Aug. 1. “With the addition of these flights, IndiGo now operates 89 nonstop flights a week to Abu Dhabi from 13 cities in India,” says, Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo head of global sales.
July 17
Larnaca, Cyprus, will return to LOT Polish Airlines’ network in October after a two-year absence. Flights between Warsaw and Larnaca will resume on Oct. 28, operating four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays using Boeing 737 aircraft. Frequencies will rise to 6X-weekly during the summer 2025 season.
U.S. leisure carrier Allegiant Air has unveiled eight new nonstop domestic routes to commence in November. Palm Beach-Grand Rapids and Savannah-Punta Gorda will start on Nov. 14, followed on Nov. 15 by Cincinnati-Melbourne Orlando, Destin Fort Walton-Flint, Fort Lauderdale-New York Stewart, Savannah-Fort Lauderdale and Savannah-Tampa St Pete. The eighth route will see flights between Sarasota and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from Nov. 23. Drew Wells, Allegiant’s chief revenue officer, says: “Our network planning team is responsive to consumer demand, constantly looking for opportunities to enhance the leisure travel experience. The new service kicks off just in time to plan warm winter getaways to sought-after coastal destinations.”
Canada’s Air Transat is launching two nonstop routes to Tulum, Mexico. The airline plans to offer seasonal flights from Montreal three times per week from Dec. 19 through April 27, 2025. A 1X-weekly route from Quebec City will also run from Dec. 21 until April 26. “This new service to Tulum is an important step in our development and diversification strategy in Mexico, one of our most important markets in the south,” Transat's Chief Revenue Officer Sebastian Ponce says. “By adding Tulum as our third destination in Quintana Roo, we are responding to the growing demand for this region, while strengthening our position as the leader in travel to the south from Montreal and Quebec City.”
Air Greenland has signed an agreement with Albatros Arctic Circle to operate two flights per week between Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and Denmark’s capital Copenhagen from March 17, 2025, though Oct. 16. Flights will operate using Jettime’s Boeing 737-800. The aircraft will also be included on the route from Nuuk to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq.
July 16
Etihad Airways and Batik Air Malaysia have enhanced their collaboration through a new codeshare agreement. As part of the new agreement, Etihad passengers gain access to five Malaysian domestic routes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport—Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau—as well as three international routes, comprising Da Nang and Hanoi in Vietnam and Perth in Australia.
China Airlines has launched a new nonstop service between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Service will be provided five times per week using Airbus A350-900 equipment. Seattle becomes the airline’s sixth destination in North America after Los Angeles, New York John F. Kennedy, Ontario, San Francisco and Vancouver. “There is a lot of potential for fostering mutually beneficial opportunities in tourism and business across our two regions,” Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho says. “This partnership helps enhance our presence in Taipei and beyond.”
American Airlines has filed plans to temporarily suspend its daily Phoenix-London Heathrow service from Oct. 27 to March 29, 2025. Additionally, the carrier plans to reduce Los Angeles-London Heathrow frequency from three times to twice daily from Oct. 25.
Maldivian is increasing frequencies between Malé, Maldives, and Trivandrum, India, to meet strong passenger demand. The airline currently serves the route four times per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. An additional Monday flight will begin from July 22 using DHC Dash 8 aircraft.
South Africa’s Airlink is adding more flights between Durban and Harare, Zimbabwe. Frequencies will rise from 6X-weekly to daily from Aug. 7 using 44-seat Embraer E140 aircraft. “We are going daily on the route in response to our customers' positive reaction to the convenience and great value of our direct service on this route. It is an appealing combination that promotes business, trade, tourism and travel between the two key cities and enhances the economic competitiveness of the regions they support,” says Rodger Foster, Airlink CEO and managing director.
ITA Airways and Croatia Airlines have expanded their codeshare agreement. Effective July 15, Croatia Airlines will place its code on ITA services from Rome Fiumicino to Palermo, Bologna, Florence and Naples. ITA already codeshares on Croatia Airlines services from Rome Fiumicino to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. A statement from the carriers says: “Italy will be more accessible to Croatia Airlines customers, thanks to one-stop connections from Rome to the listed domestic destinations. Likewise, ITA Airways will see an increase in traffic flows between Italy and Croatia, benefiting both business passengers and holiday-makers.”
July 15
Vietnam Airlines is launching a nonstop service between Hanoi and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The new route is set to commence on Oct. 27 with four flights per week using Airbus A321 aircraft. The service will bring the carrier’s total number of routes between Vietnam and Cambodia to five by the end of October. “Our goal is to support mutual economic, social and cultural development and foster the cooperative relation between our two nations,” Vietnam Airlines Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa says. Additionally, the airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia Angkor Air, the Cambodia Tourism Association and SaigonTourist Group.
Spirit Airlines has opened a route connecting Memphis International Airport (MEM) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The flight is scheduled to operate through Nov. 5 three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays using Airbus A320s. “Relentless pursuit of frequent and affordable air service is a continual goal at MEM,” says Michael Keeney, chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners. “We are grateful to Spirit for adding another option to the Dallas area, which is one of our top markets in terms of demand.”
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com has brought forward the launch of flights from new base Bournemouth Airport (BOH), England. Service will now begin in February 2025, rather than April, as previously planned. Operations to Tenerife will be 3X-weekly from Feb. 4, followed by a 2X-weekly service to Lanzarote from Feb. 6. A third route to Gran Canaria will start on Feb. 9, operating weekly. “This is fantastic news for passengers—not only are Jet2.com and Jet2holidays bringing the launch of their flights and holidays forward by two months, but these flights to the Canaries will operate year-round,” says Steve Gill, BOH managing director.
Saudia Group is adding eight new daily flights from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam to Abha as part of efforts to boost tourism to the region. Saudia has increased its daily flights to Abha from 14 to 19, while sister carrier flyadeal has expanded its daily operations from 14 to 17 flights. “By increasing flight frequencies and seat capacity, Saudia Group seeks to meet the rising demand for travel, further enriching the domestic tourism experience,” a statement from the group says.
Fiji Airways has applied to the U.S. Transportation Department to launch a new route between Nadi and Dallas-Fort Worth. The airline says it intends to fly the route three times per week using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. “Fiji Airways’ proposed service adds new service and new travel options for travel to Fiji from a major market in a new U.S. geographic region with convenient connections to the middle and eastern U.S.,” the carrier said in its application. Fiji Airways currently serves three points in the U.S., flying to Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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