June brings a fresh wave of long-haul route launches, with Europe-Asia emerging as one of the most eye-catching markets this month.
Chinese carriers are expanding further into Europe, benefiting from access to Russian airspace that allows shorter routings than those available to many Western competitors, while AirAsia X will make a long-awaited return to the UK market more than a decade after withdrawing from Europe.
AirAsia X is set to reenter the London market on June 26 with a daily one-stop service between Kuala Lumpur and London Gatwick via Bahrain, operated using Airbus A330 aircraft. The launch marks the carrier’s first UK service since 2012 and represents the latest step in rebuilding its European presence following the resumption of flights to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen in late 2025.
The route also aligns with the airline’s plans to develop Bahrain as a hub linking Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Sabre Market Intelligence data shows that UK-Malaysia traffic totaled about 492,000 two-way passengers in 2025, with only 33% traveling nonstop. London-Kuala Lumpur accounted for 61% of total demand, highlighting the size of the market AirAsia X is targeting.
Chinese airlines are also adding capacity across Europe. China Eastern Airlines will launch 3X-weekly A350-900 service between Shanghai Pudong and Zurich on June 18, adding competition to a route currently served only by Swiss. The airline will also resume Shanghai-Stockholm flights on June 22 after a six-year hiatus.
Demand between Switzerland and China continues to recover, with Sabre data showing traffic reached about 345,000 two-way passengers in 2025, up 17.8% year over year. Zurich-Shanghai was the largest city pair, accounting for about 92,300 passengers.
Other Chinese carriers are also broadening their European footprints. Air China will begin daily Beijing Daxing-Milan Malpensa service on June 13 using A330-300 aircraft, while Beijing Capital Airlines plans to launch weekly Beijing Daxing-Lisbon flights from June 22. China Southern Airlines is also expanding its Germany network, introducing a 2X-weekly Guangzhou-Urumqi-Frankfurt service using Boeing 787-9 aircraft from June 1.
Additionally, this month will also see SAS Scandinavian Airlines return to India after a 17-year absence. The carrier will launch 5X-weekly year-round flights between Copenhagen and Mumbai on June 2 using A330-300 aircraft.
The route will become the first nonstop link between Copenhagen and Mumbai and only the second direct connection between India and Scandinavia alongside Air India’s New Delhi-Copenhagen service.
In Asia-North America markets, EVA Air will launch 4X-weekly nonstop service between Taipei Taoyuan and Washington Dulles in June, becoming the first Taiwanese carrier to serve the U.S. capital region. The route strengthens the airline’s partnership with United Airlines at Dulles and expands EVA Air’s North American network to 10 destinations.
Sabre data indicates about 40,000 two-way passengers traveled between Taiwan and Washington in 2025, with most currently connecting through West Coast gateways such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Canadian carriers are also adding a range of new transatlantic routes in June. Air Canada will broaden its European network with the launch of Montreal-Palma de Mallorca service on June 17. The 3X-weekly route will make Air Canada only the second North American airline serving the Spanish island after United Airlines. Flights will be operated using 787-8 aircraft, replacing the A321XLR that had originally been slated for the route.
The Star Alliance member is also introducing Montreal-Nantes on June 10, Toronto-Ponta Delgada on June 11 and Halifax-Brussels on June 18 using 737-8 aircraft, while resuming seasonal Toronto-Budapest flights from June 6 using 787-9s.
Fellow Canadian carrier Air Transat is targeting underserved transatlantic markets with a series of additions from Montreal. The most notable is a 2X-weekly Montreal-Dakar route launching June 17 using A321LR aircraft, creating the only nonstop link between Canada and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The airline is also launching Montreal-Reykjavik on June 16 and Montreal-Agadir on June 12. The Dakar service taps into a Canada-West Africa market of about 346,000 passengers annually, while the Reykjavik route restores competition on a market currently served only by Air Canada.
WestJet is also expanding its Atlantic network, launching 4X-weekly Toronto-Ponta Delgada service to the Azores using 737-8 aircraft.
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