The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Nov. 13
IndiGo is adding flights to a second destination in Malaysia alongside Kuala Lumpur. Daily service from Bengaluru and Langkawi will begin on Dec. 16. Langkawi will become the airline’s 36th international destination and 124th overall. Vinay Malhotra, head of global sales at IndiGo, says Malaysia’s visa waiver for Indian citizens “is bound to create greater demand” for travel between India and Malaysia.
Tigerair Taiwan plans to introduce a new 2X-weekly route connecting Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Sapporo Chitose, Japan. Flights will begin on Jan. 21, operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The LCC’s current destinations from Kaohsiung include Tokyo Narita, Nagoya, Osaka, Okayama, Fukuoka, and Okinawa, Japan; Seoul Gimpo, South Korea; Macau, China; and Da Nang and Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam.
Saudi LCC flyadeal has launched a new service from Madinah to Egypt’s capital Cairo. Flights will be 3X-weekly using Airbus A320 aircraft. The new Madinah flights add to flyadeal's frequencies from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam to Egypt, up from 39 to 44 per week. “Having successfully operated many international charter flights to Madinah, we take great pride adding international scheduled services for the first time to give Hajj and Umrah pilgrims even more convenient access to the Holy City,” says flyadeal CEO Steve Greenway.
Nov. 12
Cathay Pacific is set to resume nonstop passenger service between Hong Kong and Hyderabad, India, for the first time since March 2022. Flights will commence on March 30, 2025, operating three times per week using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Frequencies are scheduled to rise to 5X-weekly from Sept. 1. Currently, Cathay Pacific operates 31 return passenger flights per week to four destinations in India, comprising Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the airline will be the sole operator of flights between Hong Kong and Hyderabad.
Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines plans to launch a new route to mainland China. Flights to Huangshan will start on Dec. 4, operating three times per week using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The service will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The airline will be the sole carrier to serve the route.
Ryanair has commenced operations to Linz Airport, Austria. Linz becomes the fourth airport in the country to be served by the ULCC alongside Klagenfurt, Salzburg and Vienna. Ryanair will serve Linz four times per week from London Stansted Airport during the winter 2024-25 season.
Dubai-based flydubai has inaugurated daily flights to Bhairahawa, Nepal, marking its second destination in the country after Kathmandu. The new daily service from Dubai International Airport aims to boost trade and tourism between the United Arab Emirates and Nepal. Return flights will operate via Kathmandu. Meanwhile, Nepal Airlines has commenced a 4X-weekly Kathmandu-Siddharthanagar-Dubai International-Kathmandu service with Airbus A320 equipment.
Saudi Arabia’s flyadeal has launched a 2X-weekly Jeddah-Sohag service, increasing the LCC's Egypt operations to 44X-weekly frequencies. The Sohag route will be operated using Airbus A320 equipment.
Indian LCC IndiGo is to introduce a domestic route between Goa and Bhopal on Dec. 1. The sector will be served 6X-weekly. “With our exclusive direct connection between Goa and Bhopal, we will now offer 400 average weekly flights to Goa (Dabolim and Mopa) from 22 cities in India,” says Vinay Malhotra, head of global sales at IndiGo.
Nov. 11
Saudi Arabia’s flyadeal will launch three new domestic routes from Dammam in January 2025. Daily flights to Najran and 4X-weekly flights to Tabuk will begin on Jan. 1, while Yanbu will be added with 3X-weekly flights from Jan. 2. “Having well-established bases in Riyadh and Jeddah, flyadeal is building its presence in the Eastern Province by adding frequency on existing routes and introducing three new destinations connecting to the region’s capital Dammam,” flyadeal CEO Steve Greenway says.
Flydubai and Malaysia’s Batik Air have signed an interline agreement, expanding connectivity between the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and beyond. The partnership allows flydubai passengers to access more than 40 destinations in Southeast Asia via Kuala Lumpur, including Jakarta, Osaka and Sydney. Batik Air passengers gain access to 38 flydubai destinations such as Entebbe, Milan-Bergamo and Prague.
Spanish carrier Volotea has launched a new route connecting Barcelona and Ancona, Italy. The service will operate twice a week. Barcelona becomes the second international route to be served by the LCC from Ancona in addition to Paris Orly. “These international connections—added the domestic routes to Catania, Olbia and Palermo—contribute to the strengthening of incoming tourism, creating new growth opportunities for the entire territory,” says Valeria Rebasti, international market director at Volotea.
AirAsia Cambodia has launched its inaugural flight from Siem Reap to Singapore, marking its first international route from Cambodia. Service will be 4X-weekly. “As AirAsia Group celebrates its 20 years of excellence in Singapore, we remain focused on creating new opportunities for Singaporeans to explore what Siem Reap has to offer as well as our guests from around ASEAN and beyond, driven by our commitment to providing affordable connectivity for travelers of all backgrounds,” says Vissoth Nam, CEO of AirAsia Cambodia.
Cebu Pacific is to commence direct flights between Manila and Sapporo starting Jan. 16, 2025. The 3X-weekly service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, cutting travel time to the Japanese city to about 5 hr. “We are excited to offer more Filipinos the opportunity to experience the winter charm of Sapporo," says Xander Lao, Cebu Pacific president and CCO.
Jazeera Airways has relaunched direct flights from Kuwait to Bhairahawa, Nepal, marking its second destination in the country. The airline now offers 3X-weekly flights to Bhairahawa, complementing its daily service to Kathmandu. Under a recent agreement between the governments of Kuwait and Nepal, around 200,000 new Nepali workers are expected to join the workforce in Kuwait, further increasing demand for travel between the two nations.
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