April will see several long-haul route launches as the summer 2026 season gets underway, including Alaska Airlines’ debut in Europe. The most eye-catching additions this month are in transatlantic and Europe-Asia markets, as Middle East network growth slows due to ongoing airspace disruption linked to the war in Iran.
Alaska Airlines will inaugurate nonstop Seattle-Rome Fiumicino service on April 28 using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, operating daily. The 5,673-mi. (4,930-nm) route was originally planned as a four-times-weekly service but has been upgraded due to strong demand.
The move marks Alaska’s entry into the European market following Alaska Air Group’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, which gave the airline access to widebody aircraft and created a platform for long-haul expansion from its Seattle hub.
Sabre Market Intelligence data shows nearly 48,200 two-way passengers traveled between Seattle and Rome in 2025, making Rome the largest unserved European destination from Seattle. The route also triggered a competitive response from Delta Air Lines, which plans to launch its own Seattle-Rome service in May and add Barcelona shortly afterward, further expanding transatlantic capacity from the Pacific Northwest.
British Airways will also expand its U.S. network in April with the launch of London Heathrow-St. Louis service beginning April 19. The 4X-weekly 787-8 operation will restore a nonstop UK link for St. Louis for the first time in more than two decades and tap into a European market of more than 354,000 annual passengers. Sabre data shows London was the largest European destination from St. Louis, accounting for about 41,000 passengers annually prior to the route launch.
Aer Lingus will add another secondary U.S. market to its long-haul network with the launch of Dublin-Raleigh-Durham service from April 13 using Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The route will operate up to five times per week and reflects the airline’s strategy of using long-range narrowbodies to connect Dublin with midsized U.S. cities. Traffic between Raleigh-Durham and Europe totaled about 731,000 two-way passengers in 2025, with Dublin ranking among the airport’s largest European markets.
Aeromexico is also expanding its transatlantic network with the launch of Monterrey-Paris Charles de Gaulle service beginning April 13, operating three times per week using 787-9 aircraft. The route adds a second European destination from Monterrey alongside Madrid and represents continued growth in long-haul service from secondary Mexican cities.
Additionally, United Airlines will continue its expansion into secondary European destinations with the launch of Newark-Split, Croatia, service on April 30. The route will operate three times per week using 767-300ER aircraft configured with a higher proportion of premium seating, reflecting strong leisure and premium demand for Mediterranean destinations during the summer season.
Europe-Asia routes are another major area of growth in April as Chinese carriers continue expanding across Europe, benefiting from access to Russian airspace that allows shorter routings than those available to many Western airlines.
China Eastern Airlines will launch 3X-weekly A330-200 service between Routes Asia 2026 host Xi’an and Vienna starting April 20, marking the airline’s first route to the Austrian capital. Demand between Austria and China totaled about 243,400 two-way passengers in 2025, up more than 25% year on year.
Air China is also expanding its European network from Beijing Daxing Airport, adding daily 777-300ER flights to Frankfurt starting April 28. The move forms part of a broader strategy to grow long-haul operations from Beijing’s newer airport while maintaining services from Beijing Capital Airport. The airline will continue operating multiple daily services to Frankfurt from Beijing Capital while adding new capacity from Daxing.
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