The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Aug. 2
Mexico’s Viva Aerobus is to open eight new routes from Guadalajara and increase frequencies from Monterrey. Four new U.S. routes are being launched from Guadalajara International Airport alongside four domestic services. From Dec. 2, the ULCC will fly to Oakland 7X-weekly, Las Vegas 4X-weekly, and San Antonio 4X-weekly. Service to Dallas-Fort Worth starts on Dec. 5 and will be offered three times per week. In the domestic market, Viva Aerobus will in December start a daily Mexicali service and fly 3X-weelkly to Ciudad Obregon, Puerto Escondido and Torreon. From Monterrey, frequencies are being added to Ciudad Obregon, Los Mochis, Mexicali, Oaxaca and Queretaro starting in November.
Saudia is introducing two routes to Medan, becoming the airline’s second destination in Indonesia after Jakarta. Flights from Jeddah and Madinah will commence on Aug. 31, each operating four times per week using Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. “Saudia is committed to increasing its market share in the Hajj and Umrah sector, recognizing Indonesia as one of the largest Islamic markets for travel,” a statement from the Saudi Arabian carrier says. “These efforts also contribute to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to host 30 million Umrah pilgrims by 2030.”
Canada’s Porter Airlines is increasing service to California, launching nonstop flights to San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) from Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ) this December. The route to SAN will begin on Dec. 9, operating 4X-weekly, while flights to PSP start on Dec. 12 and will be 3X-weekly. The carrier will deploy Embraer E195-E2s on both routes. “Porter's new service to Palm Springs and San Diego complements its rapidly growing list of routes offered from Toronto Pearson,” says Khalil Lamrabet, chief commercial officer and interim chief operating officer at YYZ. “Last year, approximately 50,000 passengers had to take a connecting flight to reach these California destinations, so the new service will go a long way in meeting passenger demand and offering greater choice.”
AirAsia Cambodia has launched its first international service, connecting Phnom Penh and Kuala Lumpur. Flights commenced n Aug. 1 with the LCC reporting a 99% passenger load factor on the inaugural flight. CEO Vissoth Nam says: “Cambodia's tourism sector has been on a robust growth trajectory, with the government actively promoting the country as a prime tourist destination. In the first half of 2024 alone, Cambodia welcomed more than three million international tourists. We anticipate that our new route between Phnom Penh and Kuala Lumpur will further boost tourist arrivals between the two countries.”
IndiGo has announced Jaffna, Sri Lanka, as the newest addition in its international route network. The airline will start nonstop daily flights between Chennai and Jaffna from Sept. 1. Jaffna will be the LCC’s second destination in Sri Lanka after Colombo, making it the 34th international and 122nd overall destination.
Vietnamese LCC VietJet has announced plans to launch a new route between Da Nang and Ahmedabad, India. The announcement was made at the Vietnam-India Business Forum held in New Delhi, attended by Vietnam’s prime minister Pham Minh Chinh. The airline has not confirmed the planned schedule for the new service but says flights will start in October. VietJet currently serves Ahmedabad four times per week from Hanoi and daily from Ho Chi Minh City.
LATAM Airlines Brasil plans to launch a weekly service from Fortaleza to Chile’s capital Santiago. Flights will be operated from Nov. 30 using Airbus A320neo aircraft. The route will become the airline’s eighth to Santiago from Brazil. It expects to carry about 14,500 passengers annually on the new route.
Aug. 1
AirAsia Philippines is further expanding in Japan by introducing Nagoya as its third destination. Flights from Manila will operate three times per week from Oct. 29 through March 29, 2025. “Japan is one of the strongest regional markets for AirAsia Philippines,” AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla says. “In fact, we've already flown 210,000 guests for the first half of 2024. We are confident we will double the 270,000 guests flown in 2023.” Meanwhile, Thai AirAsia has announced the planned suspension of its Phuket-Hong Kong service from Sept. 1 as part of its “ongoing consumer demand and fleet management strategy.”
Emirates is to operate a second daily Airbus A380 service between Dubai and Bali, starting Sept. 1 through Oct. 26. The airline currently operates the second daily flight using Boeing 777s. “The upgraded service will build upon the success of Emirates' first-ever A380 service to Indonesia, launched on 1 June 2023, while also driving more inbound traffic to Bali during one of the busiest times of the year and seamlessly connecting travelers from Indonesia to Dubai and beyond,” a statement from the carrier says.
Delta Air Lines is temporarily suspending flights between New York John F. Kennedy and Tel Aviv through Aug. 2. The carrier issued a travel waiver for all customers booked to travel to/from Tel Aviv through Aug. 14. “Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports and will communicate any updates as needed,” the SkyTeam member says in a statement. Additionally, Delta has confirmed plans to add two new routes to Mexico. Los Angeles-Mazatlan will operate weekly using Airbus A319s from Dec. 21, while Detroit-Tulum will also be weekly using Boeing 737-800s from Jan. 11, 2025.
EasyJet is expanding its Moroccan network from Bordeaux, France. Flights to Rabat will be available from Oct. 29, operating twice a week. The LCC has already confirmed plans to launch three other routes from Bordeaux this winter to Rome Fiumicino, Rovaniemi and Zurich.
July 31
Thai AirAsia is expanding its network in India with two new routes. From Oct. 27, the LCC will introduce a 3X-weekly Phuket-Chennai service and a daily Phuket-Kolkata route. “AirAsia has long awaited the opportunity to expand its network to the major metro cities of India,” CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya says. “Following the Thai government successfully negotiating aviation rights with India, AirAsia is now fully ready to add connections between both countries.” Thai AirAsia will now provide services to 12 cities in India, comprising Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Gaya, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Tiruchirappalli and Visakhapatnam, offering a total of 67 flights per week.
Porter Airlines is offering two new winter seasonal routes connecting eastern Canada with Las Vegas. Service from Ottawa will be 4X-weekly from Nov. 1, followed by a 3X-weekly route from Montreal commencing the next day. Porter will be the only carrier operating the Ottawa-Las Vegas route. “These new routes to Las Vegas reflect our commitment to meeting passenger demand and offering superior service across our expanding network,” Porter President Kevin Jackson says.
Oman’s SalamAir is adding two new destinations in India, bringing the number of points served in the country to eight. From Sept. 2, flights from Muscat to Mumbai will operate four times per week, and from Sept. 6, flights to Bengaluru will run twice a week. “The Indian subcontinent is a key region for us, and we are committed to strengthening our connections and providing affordable travel options,” CEO Adrian Hamilton-Manns says.
China Southern Airlines plans to increase Guangzhou-Christchurch, New Zealand, frequency from 5X-weekly to daily from Dec. 17 through Feb. 12, 2025, for the Chinese New Year period. The flight, which takes approximately 12 hr., will be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The airline is scheduled to resume the seasonal service from late October after pausing flights in February. “China is a high-value market for us, and the greater flexibility of flight options opens connection opportunities for travelers from China Southern's extensive network that spans more than 220 destinations across 40 countries,” says Gordon Bevan, general manager of aeronautical development at Christchurch Airport.
Uzbekistan-based carrier Air Samarkand has operated its inaugural passenger flight from Samarkand to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The route will use Airbus A321neos and cater to religious traffic. “There is growing interest worldwide in Islamic cultural tourism, so we are meeting that need with these new services, which will build on the unique historical legacy and ties between our two countries,” CEO Zafar Butaev says. Air Samarkand plans to commence flights to Medina from Samarkand in August 2024 using A330s.
July 30
AirAsia continues to expand its presence in China by launching a new route from its second-largest hub in Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu. Flights to Kunming will be offered three times per week from Sept. 25. The move increases the LCC’s network to 10 routes and 69X-weekly flights from Kota Kinabalu to destinations in China from September onward. All Malaysians are eligible for visa-free entry to China for tourist visits of up to 15 days until the end of 2025.
Indian LCC IndiGo is increasing domestic service from Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The airline plans to add daily flights between Hyderabad and Hirasar from Sept. 16, as well as reinstating a 4X-weekly service between Hyderabad-Udaipur from Sept. 1 and a 3X-weekly Hyderabad-Jodhpur route from Sept. 3. Additional frequencies will also be provided on Ahmedabad-Amritsar from Sept. 16 and Ahmedabad-Bhubaneswar from Sept. 17. With the addition of these flights, IndiGo now offers 1,220 direct flights a week from Hyderabad to 69 destinations and 523 weekly flights from Ahmedabad to 35 destinations.
WestJet and Air North have signed a new interline agreement. The partnership will allow passengers to book travel on a single ticket with a connected itinerary between WestJet's network of more than 100 destinations and the Yukon and Northwest Territories, providing critical air access to remote Canadian communities. “Understanding the criticality of air access for remote communities, and through our shared passion for affordable and accessible air travel, WestJet and Air North are joining forces to deliver the only full large carrier interline agreement to Northern Canada,” says Jared Mikoch-Gerke, WestJet director for alliances and airport affairs. Air North currently serves 12 Canadian destinations, including four northern communities in the Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
July 29
Ethiopian Airlines says it has received a notice from the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority that all of its flights to the country will be banned from Sept. 30. “The specific reasons for this suspension have not been disclosed to us,” a statement from the airline adds. Ethiopian Airlines currently serves Asmara 15X-weekly from Addis Ababa using a mix of Boeing 737-8, 737-800 and 787-9 equipment. The carrier says is “seeking clarification” about the ban and is “committed to resolving any issues amicably and promptly.”
Turkish Airlines has confirmed that it intends to start flights to Santiago, Chile. In a short statement, the carrier says a route from Istanbul will be launched, but the timing and frequency will be “based on market conditions.” Speaking to Aviation Week at the Farnborough Airshow, Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat said the Star Alliance member was seeking to expand its footprint in Latin America, with Santiago and Lima, Peru, identified as target destinations.
Canada’s WestJet has announced a new transborder service connecting Kelowna and Seattle. The route will commence on Jan. 17, 2025, initially operating five times per week. Frequencies will rise to daily from Feb. 17. The carrier says flight timing will allow for connections to 24 codeshare destinations throughout the western U.S. with partner Delta Air Lines.
LOT Polish Airlines is adding a route between Warsaw and Portugal’s capital Lisbon from Feb. 3, 2025. Service will initially be 5X-weekly, before rising to daily from Feb. 24. The route will be operated using Boeing 737-8 aircraft. “Thanks to additional planes continuously joining our fleet, we are able to offer our passengers—for the first time in the history of LOT Polish Airlines—a connection to Lisbon,” LOT Polish Airlines CEO Michał Fijoł says.
Romanian carrier HiSky is expanding its network with a new route connecting Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Flights will be offered three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Airbus A320s, starting on Oct. 14. The addition increases the airline’s network from Bucharest to 13 European destinations. The flight time will be about 3 hr.
EasyJet is growing its schedule from Geneva Airport this winter with new routes to Cairo and Marsa Alam in Egypt. Service to Cairo Sphinx International Airport will operate from Nov. 5 through March 28, 2025, while flights to Marsa Alam International Airport will run from Nov. 10 until March 26. Both routes will be served twice a week.
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