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

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

Sept. 6

Ryanair has announced the addition of two new routes from Madrid to Verona, Italy, and Kaunas, Lithuania, pushing its total routes from the Spanish capital to 63. The airline, which says it has invested $1.3 billion in its Madrid operations, expects the new routes to increase its traffic at the airport by 7%, surpassing 7 million passengers annually. However, Ryanair's expansion comes amid a growing dispute with AENA, Spain’s airport operator. The airline criticized AENA's plans to hike airport charges by 0.5% in 2025.

Edelweiss, part of the Lufthansa Group, will begin year-round flights from Zurich to Finland’s Kittilä Airport in December 2024. The service, starting December 11, will operate twice weekly during the winter season, transitioning to once-weekly flights from June to September 2025. Edelweiss will use a 174-seat Airbus A320 for the route. This new route marks the second year-round connection from Europe to Lapland, following Discover Airlines’ flights from Frankfurt.

Virgin Atlantic and Riyadh Air have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing travel between the UK, Saudi Arabia and beyond. The partnership will focus on expanding network connectivity and improving customer experience through interline and codeshare agreements. This collaboration could evolve into a deeper relationship, potentially including shared loyalty benefits, pending regulatory approvals.

AirAsia is expanding its international reach from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, by introducing a new route to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, starting Nov. 17. The airline will operate 4X-weekly flights, making it the only carrier on this route. Kaohsiung becomes the 15^th international destination served by AirAsia from its Kota Kinabalu hub, contributing to a total of 105 weekly flights to various destinations in ASEAN and beyond by December 2024. This move follows strong demand on the Kuala Lumpur-Kaohsiung route, with more than 80,000 passengers since November 2022.

Saudi Arabia’s Flynas has launched a new route connecting Jeddah with Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The service will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. An Airbus A320neo aircraft will be used on the route.

Starting from Oct. 27, Korean Air will relaunch its Seoul Incheon-Nagasaki route for the winter season after a break of more than 11 years. This route will operate four times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

JetBlue has inaugurated a new daily route between Boston Logan International Airport and Presque Isle International Airport. The route is being operated under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Essential Air Service program. It will be served using Embraer E190 equipment, with plans to deploy Airbus A220 aircraft on the service in 2025.

Sept. 5

Colombia’s Avianca is launching two new international routes in December. Flights between Medellin and Sao Paulo will start on Dec. 3, operating three times per week. This will be followed by service connecting Cartagena and Guayaquil, Ecuador, from Dec. 17, operating 2X-weekly. The flights will be operated on Airbus A320 aircraft with capacity for 180 passengers, which will represent more than 500 seats per week on the Medellin-Sao Paulo route and more than 350 seats per week for the Cartagena-Guayaquil route.

Philippine LCC Cebu Pacific is set to open two new routes from Iloilo, resuming flights to Tacloban and opening a new direct service to Zamboanga. This brings the total number of direct flights from Iloilo to 11 by the end of November. The Tacloban route will start on Oct. 27 and be offered 4X-weekly, while Zamboanga will be served three times per week from Oct. 28.

Latvian airline airBaltic has announced 16 route additions to its network, comprising four from Riga, five from Tallinn and seven from Vilnius. “Furthermore, to serve the growing demand on our existing routes, we have increased flight frequencies on 17 direct routes from the Baltic states, offering our customers even broader range of travel options,” President and CEO Martin Gauss says.

Air Premia plans to increase frequencies between Seoul Incheon and New York Newark from four to five times per week. The change will begin on Nov. 14. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, no other carriers serve this route.

Emirates has launched a 4X-weekly Dubai-Seychelles-Antananarivo route using Boeing 777-300ER equipment. Antananarivo becomes the carrier's fifth destination in the Indian Ocean. “Madagascar is a new and exciting destination on our vast global network, unlocking a world of natural wonders, rare and diverse wildlife and a rich, vibrant culture,” says Adnan Kazim, Emirates deputy president and chief commercial officer. “As the Malagasy government continues to grow its tourism industry with the aim to attract one million tourists by 2028, we proudly support this vision by enhancing connectivity and premium travel options to encourage more international travelers to discover the island.”

Sept. 4

Ethiopian Airlines is adding passenger service to Bangladesh during the fourth quarter with the launch of a route connecting Addis Ababa and Dhaka. Flights will commence on Nov. 1, operating six times per week using Boeing 787 aircraft. “This new route will further strengthen Ethiopian's presence in South Asia, providing convenient connections between Bangladesh and key destinations across Africa and beyond,” a statement from the airline says. The carrier has already been providing cargo and logistics services to Dhaka.

Qantas is expanding its service to the U.S. by launching nonstop flights from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) starting in May 2025. The new route will operate three times per week using Airbus A330 aircraft. As part of this change, subsidiary Jetstar will discontinue its current 2X-weekly flights on the same route from April 30, reallocating the Boeing 787-8 aircraft to another long-haul sector. Qantas and Jetstar will also continue to offer a combined total of 8X-weekly flights between Sydney and Honolulu. Additionally, Jetstar has inaugurated its first flights between Adelaide and Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine. Service will be 3X-weekly.

Aeroméxico will launch its third route to Colombia with the addition of a daily service connecting Mexico City International Airport and Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena. Flights will begin on Feb. 20, 2025, using Boeing 737-8 equipment. The airline had been flying to Colombia for 14 years when it inaugurated service to Bogotá, later adding flights to Medellín. With the addition of the Cartagena route, the carrier will provide 70 flights per week to and from Colombia.

Argentinian LCC Flybondi has inaugurated a new domestic route between Buenos Aires Aeroparque and San Juan. Flights will be 4X-weekly. San Juan becomes the airline's 26^th route in Argentina, its 19^th domestic destination and the 15^th province in the Flybondi network. “We will be making a very clear contribution to tourism development and of the region,” Flybondi CEO Mauricio Sana says.

Saudi Arabia’s flynas has launched two new routes to Sharjah Airport, United Arab Emirates. Operations from Jeddah will be daily, while two flights per week will be offered from Madinah. Both routes will use Boeing 737 aircraft.

Azerbaijan Airlines AZAL is adding flights to the Maldives for the first time. A Baku-Male route will commence on Nov. 8, operating twice a week on Fridays and Sundays. “This direct flight greatly reduces travel time, eliminating the inconvenience of layovers. It's the perfect option for those who value their time and comfort,” a statement from the carrier says.

Sept. 2

Jetstar will begin a new service from Perth Airport to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, with up to four weekly flights starting on Sept. 6. The service is in addition to Singapore and Phuket routes launched by the LCC from the Australian airport in August. Jetstar has also inaugurated a new base in PER to accommodate up to 60 pilots and four Airbus A321LR aircraft. “The airline has shown its commitment to Western Australia (WA) through its investment in new aircraft and the WA pilot base,” PER CEO Jason Waters says.

South African carrier Airlink will commence nonstop flights between Cape Town and Gaborone starting April 1, 2025, following regulatory approvals from Botswana and South Africa. “Gaborone and Cape Town are key destinations for business and leisure travel, and we have seen growing demand for a direct service between the two cities,” Airlink CEO Rodger Foster says. Airlink will operate 44-seat Embraer E140 aircraft on the route.

Air Arabia has announced the launch of nonstop flights connecting Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with Poland's capital Warsaw. The new service is set to begin on Dec. 20 and will operate 5X-weekly between Sharjah International Airport and Warsaw Chopin Airport. “As our second destination in Poland after Krakow, this new route offers our customers a convenient connection to a city renowned for its rich history and vibrant culture,” group CEO Adel Al Ali says.

Transavia France will suspend its Paris Orly to Pau service for the 2024 winter season, citing insufficient demand despite adjustments to the route's frequency, schedule and a competitive pricing strategy. However, Pau will remain connected to Paris with four daily flights operated by Air France to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Pau-Pyrenees Airport says talks are underway to potentially restore service to Paris Orly in the future.

AirExplore has received conditional approval from the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) to begin commercial operations in U.S. airspace under conditional Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP) provisions. The approval allows the Slovakian airline to conduct scheduled and charter flights for passengers; cargo; and mail to, from and within the U.S. using wet-leased aircraft operated by FAA-certified carriers from countries meeting FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment standards. The approval follows AirExplore's recent acquisition by Avia Solutions Group and its reapplication for FACP earlier this year.