New Airbus A321XLR routes are among the network highlights in January 2026, with IndiGo entering the India-Greece market and Iberia pushing deeper into Brazil beyond its largest gateways.
IndiGo will this month commence nonstop flights to Athens from both Mumbai and New Delhi. The 3X-weekly services will begin Jan. 23 from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Jan. 24 from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, making the LCC the only Indian carrier offering direct connectivity between the two countries at the time of the launch.
The routes will also mark a milestone for the airline, as they represent IndiGo’s first commercial operations with the A321XLR. According to Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery, IndiGo has 70 A321XLRs on order, which are expected to play a central role in building out its medium- and longer-haul network ahead of the carrier’s first A350 deliveries starting in 2027.
Although IndiGo will be the sole Indian operator on the Greece routes initially, Aegean Airlines has announced plans to launch Athens-New Delhi flights in March 2026 and Athens-Mumbai service in May 2026, also using the A321XLR, underscoring how the aircraft is opening nonstop opportunities between South Asia and Southern Europe.
A similar strategy is unfolding in the Atlantic market, where Iberia will continue its expansion into secondary Brazilian cities with the launch of Madrid-Fortaleza service on Jan. 19. The route will initially operate three times per week, increasing to 4X-weekly frequencies in February, and will be flown with A321XLRs, allowing the carrier to extend its Brazil network beyond its largest gateways.
The Fortaleza service follows Iberia’s launch of Madrid-Recife in December 2025, which also began with 3X-weekly flights before ramping up to five in February. Iberia already serves Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with 14X and 5X-weekly frequencies, respectively.
In the transpacific market, Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines will launch Taipei-Phoenix Sky Harbor service on Jan. 15, operating three times per week with A350-900s. The move comes just weeks after rival China Airlines inaugurated the same route in December 2025.
The surge in interest between Taiwan and Phoenix follows Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s announcement of a $165 billion investment to expand its operations in Arizona, including advanced fabrication plants, packaging facilities and a major R&D center. Sabre Market Intelligence data shows Phoenix-Taiwan traffic totaled about 67,000 two-way passengers in 2024, averaging 92 travelers per day each way, with Taiwan ranking as Phoenix’s second-largest Asian market after India.
Elsewhere, Star Alliance member Air China this month plans to enter a new market with the launch of Beijing Capital-Abu Dhabi service effective Jan. 24. The route will make the airline the sole scheduled operator between the two cities and marks the carrier’s first direct service to Abu Dhabi, complementing its existing UAE operations to Dubai.
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