The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
July 26
JetBlue Airways confirmed it will end all service in seven markets: Burbank, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Minneapolis; Palm Springs, California; San Antonio, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. “These decisions are never easy,” an airline spokesperson told Aviation Week Network. “However, these markets have recently fallen short of our expectations. These moves will allow us to redeploy our fleet to increase frequencies on well-performing routes.” JetBlue added the cuts will “also help us during a time when aircraft availability is limited,” pointing to aircraft grounded for inspections of Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines.
Sydney Airport (SYD) in Australia handled 9.7 million passengers in the second quarter, up 6.4% over the 2023 June quarter and 91.9% recovered from the 2019 second quarter. International traffic showed particularly strong growth, with 3.8 million passengers handled, up 12.1% year-over-year and 94.3% recovered from the 2019 June quarter. “We saw strong international passenger volumes throughout Q2 with seat capacity growing across the markets of Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam versus the same period last year,” SYD CEO Scott Charlton said in a statement. “This was underpinned by increased frequencies including Thai Airways adding a second daily service to Bangkok, Jetstar putting on a new, 3X-weekly service to Osaka and VietJet Air adding a 2X-weekly service to Hanoi.”
Hong Kong Airlines has opened service from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to two new destinations. The carrier will fly 3X-weekly between HKG and Taichung, Taiwan. It will also connect HKG with Da Nang, Vietnam, operating the route daily.
July 25
JetBlue Airways will serve Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire for the first time, with flights to three Florida destinations kicking off early next year. MHT is located around 55 mi. north of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), where JetBlue has a leading passenger market share of around 28%. The airline said the addition of MHT is part of an effort to buttress its position in the New England region. In January 2025, JetBlue will open year-round daily service between MHT and Orlando International Airport. Also in January, JetBlue will start winter seasonal service from MHT to Florida destinations Fort Lauderdale (4X-weekly) and Fort Myers (3X-weekly). “Manchester flights … will complement JetBlue’s focus city operation at Boston Logan, giving loyal JetBlue customers across the region more selection,” the airline said in a statement.
Airports Council International (ACI) World has finalized
2023 airport traffic figures released preliminarily in April that confirm Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) was the world’s busiest passenger airport last year. Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) were confirmed as the second- and third-busiest airports in the world in 2023. “The dataset’s key findings confirm total global passenger traffic for 2023 was close to 8.7 billion [up 30.6% from 2022], driven by a continued resurgence in international traffic,” ACI World said in a statement. “This segment was propelled by several factors, including the anticipated benefits from the reopening of the Asian markets and a growing inclination towards travel despite macroeconomic conditions.” ACI World Director General and CEO Luis Felipe de Oliveira added: “International passenger traffic has now almost fully recovered from the pandemic, and the regional disparities are gone. China’s reopening fueled much of 2023’s strong growth.”
Dutch carrier KLM will boost frequencies on service between Belfast City Airport (BHD) in Northern Ireland and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from 1X-daily to 2X-daily starting in the 2024 northern hemisphere winter season. According to BHD, the 2X-daily frequency will be maintained year-round.
July 24
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) in June had its busiest month since the airport’s days as a U.S. Airways hub, nearing the 1 million monthly passenger mark. PIT handled more than 970,000 passengers in June, up 14% from the same month in 2023. “Carriers operated more than 170,000 additional seats at the airport [in June] than in the pre-pandemic month of June 2019,” the airport said in a statement. The last month the airport handled more than 1 million passengers was 19 years ago in July 2005, when PIT notes it was in the “waning days as a hub for U.S. Airways.” PIT added that airlines scheduled more than 1.2 million seats at PIT in June, the most of any month since May 2007. “We are beating our forecasts for the year,” PIT CEO Christina Cassotis said. “We expect this will be a new watermark year [post-U.S. Airways], and we can start talking about 2024 as a new benchmark as we continue to see growth in the market.” PIT said 40%-50% of its traffic was connecting in the 2005 summer, when U.S. Airways had a 60% market share. “Today, over 95% of PIT’s passengers start and end their trips in Pittsburgh rather than connecting to destinations beyond,” the airport noted. Southwest Airlines currently has a leading 24.5% market share at PIT, followed by American Airlines at 21%.
Aruba Airport (AUA) in the Caribbean handled more than 800,000 scheduled service passengers in the 2024 first half, an all-time record for the first six months of a year and up around 19% year-over-year. During the 2024 first half, 26 airlines served AUA, which is connected to more than 30 destinations. There are 45 nonstop routes operated from the airport, according to AUA. In terms of seat capacity, North America routes were up 26% year-over-year in the six-month period, while seats on Latin American routes increased 46% versus the 2023 first half. The airport noted LATAM Airlines will boost service between AUA and Lima, Peru from 4X-weekly to 5X-weekly in October. It added that when GOL Linhas Aéreas opens 3X-weekly service to São Paulo Guarulhos Airport in December, AUA will be connected “to the four major hubs of this [region]: Bogotá, Panama, Lima and São Paulo.”
July 23
Korean Air will place its newly delivered Boeing 787-10 on the Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita route from July 25. It is the first 787-10 to join the carrier’s fleet, and arrives as the airline signed an order at the Farnborough Airshow for 20 firm 787-10s plus 10 options. “Korean Air plans to utilize the 787-10 on key trunk routes to leverage its range … and high fuel efficiency,” the airline said in a statement. “The 787-10 will initially be deployed on short-haul routes to stabilize operations, before being deployed on long-haul routes such as the Seoul Incheon-Vancouver route.” Korean Air's 787-10 can carry 325 passengers, including 36 in business class. The airline currently operates 13 787-9s.
Saudi LCC flynas is set to launch flights from Medina Airport (MED) to two Middle East destinations. From Sept. 10, the airline will open 3X-weekly service between MED and Bahrain. From Sept. 12, flynas will commence 2X-weekly flights between MED and Doha. Other international destinations currently served by the airline from MED include Amman, Jordan; Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey; Cairo; and Dubai. The airline’s overall network spans 70 domestic and international destinations.
Melbourne Airport (MEL) in Australia handled 35.1 million passengers in its fiscal year ending June 30, up 14% over the 12-month period that ended June 30, 2023. The airport said domestic traffic for the fiscal year was 93% recovered to pre-pandemic levels, while international traffic was 96% recovered. “The past year has been one of steady growth,” MEL CEO Lorie Argus said in a statement. “We have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels.” She cited India and Vietnam as two markets that have “seen huge growth.”
July 22
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) said it expects to complete construction of a new airport train by December 2025, with plans for passengers to start using the train in 2026. LAX said the “automated people mover” train will operate continuously for 24 hr. a day on 2.25 mi. of elevated tracks. The train will connect to six stations: three inside the airport, one at LAX’s economy parking facility, one at LAX’s Metro Transit Center and another at the airport’s rental car facility. The LAX train’s route will take 10 min. total, and the top speed will be 47 mph. LAX said the train is expected to carry 30 million passengers annually. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass noted the train’s Metro Transit Center stop means “this train will make a direct connection to the Metro system,” giving passengers access to points throughout the area via Los Angeles’s public transit network.
Greek carrier Aegean Airlines said it transported 7.3 million passengers in the first half of 2024, up 9% year-over-year. The airline projects its capacity for the full year will be up 6% year-over-year in terms of seats offered to 19.8 million. Aegean noted it has increased frequencies between its Athens International Airport (ATH) base and London Heathrow to 4X-daily from 3X-daily. The airline opened two domestic routes in June with flights between Thessaloniki and Naxos and between Heraklion and Kalamata. It also commenced three international routes from ATH in June: Palermo, Italy; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Vilnius, Lithuania.
New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) passengers can now participate in an automated shuttle bus trial program at the airport. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, said it has “received approval from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to allow members of the public to ride in autonomous shuttles being tested within a large, on-airport parking lot.” Previous tests of autonomous shuttles at JFK did not include passengers. The Port said unionized contract drivers who currently operate JFK airport shuttles will be the “self-driving shuttles’ safety monitors” during the trial. Port Executive Director Rick Cotton said “safely incorporating self-driving technology at our facilities is part of the Port Authority’s future, and these tests help to prepare us for that eventuality by building a knowledge base on the possibilities and limits of these vehicles.”
