Wizz expects to take delivery of its first A321XLR in March.
Wizz Air intends to launch one of the more eye-catching routes during March 2025 with the planned arrival of its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
The airline will begin daily flights between London Gatwick Airport and Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport on March 31, marking its first-ever route between the UK and Saudi Arabia and its debut operation using the XLR variant.
Wizz expects to take delivery of its first A321XLR in March, making it the second airline to operate the extended-range narrowbody, following Spain’s Iberia. At 2,927 mi. (2,544 nm), London Gatwick-Jeddah will become the farthest route in Wizz’s network.
Virgin Atlantic is also opening a UK-Saudi Arabia route in March—one of two new long-haul services being added by the carrier during the month. The carrier will begin daily flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport using A330-900neo aircraft, marking its first-ever service to the kingdom.
Additionally, Virgin Atlantic intends to return to the Canadian market on March 30 with flights connecting LHR and Toronto Pearson International Airport. The route will be offered daily onboard Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The airline last served Canada from May 2012 until October 2014 when it suspended operations between LHR and Vancouver as part of a network reshuffle.
Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic’s fellow SkyTeam alliance member Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is also expanding its North American network this month. The carrier plans to launch a new seasonal route between Oslo Airport and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, marking the first time the route will be served in more than 30 years. Daily flights will begin on March 30, using A321LR aircraft, complementing SAS’s existing Newark service operated with A330-300s.
Elsewhere, easyJet is expanding its network from new bases at Milan Linate (LIN) and Rome Fiumicino (FCO) after being approved as the short-haul remedy taker in Lufthansa’s acquisition of a 41% stake in ITA Airways.
The LCC will base five aircraft at LIN and three at FCO, launching a total of 15 new routes in March. From Milan Linate, 10 new routes will include flights to Brussels, Edinburgh, Lisbon and Vienna, while Rome Fiumicino will see five new services, including Frankfurt and Munich.
Other new routes starting in March 2025 include Royal Jordanian’s addition of flights between Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport following United Airlines’ exit from the market, and Zipair Tokyo’s plans to serve Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport, which will become the Japanese airline’s fifth point in the U.S.
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are expanding their networks from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in March, following the award of beyond-perimeter slots that allow service to destinations outside the airport’s 1,250-mi. perimeter rule.
American will launch daily flights to San Antonio International Airport on March 2, followed by Delta, which begins daily service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on March 9. Alaska Airlines will round out the new offerings with daily flights to San Diego International Airport starting March 18. Southwest Airlines and United Airlines were also awarded beyond-perimeter slots, launching a new route to Las Vegas and expanded service to San Francisco, respectively, in February.
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