The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
July 3
Etihad Airways unveiled two new seasonal routes it plans to launch in the 2026 northern hemisphere summer. From May 21, 2026, the carrier will open service between its Zayed International Airport (AUH) base in Abu Dhabi and Salalah, Oman. The route will be operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, initially 2X-weekly and then ramp up to daily frequencies from July 15 to Sept. 15. From July 16, Etihad will commence flights between AUH and Krakow, Poland, using an A321LR aircraft. The route will be flown 3X-weekly through Sept. 5.
Vietnam Airlines opened flights between Hanoi and Milan Malpensa Airport. The 3X-weekly service is being flown with a Boeing 787 aircraft.
Croatia Airlines launched service between Zagreb Airport (ZAG) and Hamburg, one of a number seasonal routes the carrier is starting from ZAG with Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The route will be operated 3X-weekly through the end of October. The airline also kicked off flights between ZAG and Milan Malpensa, also operating 3X-weekly through the end of October. On July 3, Croatia Airlines is inaugurating 3X-weekly service between ZAG and Madrid, to be followed by the start of 3X-weekly flights between ZAG and Prague on July 4. Both of those routes will also be flown through the end of October. “Our fleet renewal with A220 aircraft has enabled a significant expansion of our destination network from our home base, Zagreb Airport,” Croatia Airlines said. The carrier this summer is operating 55 international routes across 31 European airports.
Philippine Airlines opened service between Manila and Da Nang, Vietnam. The seasonal route will be flown 3X-weekly through Oct. 25 using an Airbus A321 aircraft.
American Airlines is adding new Boeing 787-9 aircraft fitted with the carrier’s new business-class cabin on all flights between Chicago O’Hare and London Heathrow (LHR) on July 5. American’s new 787-9s feature 51 “Flagship suite” lie-flat seats with privacy doors and increased storage space. The carrier also announced a number of routes that will see the new 787-9s utilized on a temporary basis for the upcoming northern hemisphere winter season. The aircraft will be used daily between Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Auckland from Jan. 5, 2026, to March 28, 2026. The 787-9 will also be deployed daily between DFW and Brisbane between Oct. 25 and March 28, 2026. From Oct. 26 to Jan. 5, 2026, American will operate the new 787-9 on a daily basis between DFW and Buenos Aires. Between Oct. 26 and Dec. 3, the airline will fly a new 787-9 between DFW and LHR daily and then deploy the aircraft type on 2X-daily DFW-LHR flights between Dec. 3 and Jan. 5, 2026. American will use the aircraft on daily flights between Philadelphia and LHR between Oct. 25 and Jan. 5, 2026.
July 2
Turkish Airlines is adding London Stansted Airport (STN) to its network, its sixth destination in the UK. The carrier will fly 14X-weekly flights between STN and Istanbul Airport (IST) from March 18, 2026. Turkish is already operating 47X-weekly flights between London Heathrow and IST. It is also flying 28X-weekly frequencies between London Gatwick and IST. Including services to IST from Birmingham (18X-weekly), Manchester (28X-weekly) and Edinburgh (14X-weekly), Turkish will operate 149X-weekly flights between IST and the UK when the STN services kick off next year. The carrier also operates 21X-weekly flights between IST and Dublin.
Qatar Airways has restarted flights between Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) and four destinations in Iraq: Baghdad, Erbil, Najaf and Sulaymaniyah. The airline flies between DOH and Baghdad 13X-weekly. Qatar Airways will additionally resume service between DOH and Basra, Iraq, on July 3. The carrier will also reopen flights between DOH and Damascus on July 6. The route to the Syrian capital will be operated daily initially and then return to 2X-daily on July 15. The airline on July 1 ramped up flights from DOH to both Amman and Beirut to 3X-daily after temporarily operating both routes 2X-daily.
Air Canada launched seasonal service between Montreal and Edinburgh. The exclusive route will be operated 3X-weekly through Sept. 7 with a Boeing 737-8 aircraft configured to carry 169 passengers.
Etihad Airways switched from an Airbus A350 to an A380 on its daily Abu Dhabi–Toronto service. The A380 is configured with 486 seats, 115 more than the 371-seat A350 it had been flying on the route. “The introduction of our flagship aircraft on this route reflects our deep commitment to the Canadian market,” said Arik De, the airline’s chief revenue and commercial officer.
July 1
Emirates Airline said all flights between Dubai and Tehran will remain canceled through July 5 “due to the regional situation.” The airline added that passengers “connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.” Flights between Dubai and Baghdad will resume on July 1, the airline said. Service between Dubai and Basra, Iraq, will recommence on July 2. Passengers “connecting through Dubai to Iraq will be accepted for travel at their point of origin,” Emirates said. Regarding Tehran services, “we continue to closely monitor developments,” the airline added. “The safety of our passengers, employees and operations will always be our top priority.”
American Airlines unveiled domestic winter-season services it plans to operate with regional aircraft, including flying to Sun Valley, Idaho, from both Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Phoenix. Both routes will be flown daily on a seasonal basis between Dec. 18 and April 6, 2026, with Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft. The carrier will also fly daily CRJ-700 service between its ORD hub and Santa Fe, New Mexico, from Dec. 18 through Jan. 6, 2026. American will additionally start year-round daily CRJ-700 service between Los Angeles and Santa Fe from Oct. 6.
Ryanair will launch service from Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) in Sweden to two European destinations in October. From Oct. 26, the ULCC will kick off 2X-weekly service between GOT and Porto, Portugal. From Oct. 28, the carrier will commence 2X-weekly flights between GOT and Malta. Ryanair’s “continued investment shows strong confidence in the Swedish travel market,” GOT Aviation Director Elizabeth Axtelius said.
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL)-based Aztec Airways will open daily scheduled service between FLL and Abaco in the Bahamas using nine-seat Piper Chieftain aircraft. It will be the only nonstop service between FLL and Abaco. The Bahamas Tourism Ministry said connecting FLL and Abaco “underscores the growing demand for accessible and efficient travel options” to the islands, adding the “flights will provide greater flexibility for business travel and leisure trips.”
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