November will see several notable international route launches, including Qatar Airways’ delayed entry into Bogota and Caracas, Turkish Airlines’ expansion in mainland China and two new widebody services from Christchurch by Air New Zealand.
Qatar Airways is scheduled to launch a triangular Doha-Bogota-Caracas-Doha service on Nov. 4, more than three months later than originally planned. Flights were initially due to begin in July before being postponed following the earthquake in Venezuela.
The 2X-weekly route will operate using Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. Qatar Airways will fly from Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Bogota El Dorado International Airport (BOG), continue to Caracas Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) and then return nonstop to Doha.
The launch will make Qatar Airways the first Gulf carrier to serve Venezuela and provide the first nonstop flights connecting the Middle East with both Bogota and Caracas. The schedule is designed to offer connections through Doha to markets including Australia, China, Japan, Lebanon, South Korea and the UAE.
Another Venezuelan market will gain international service later in the month when Copa Airlines opens flights between Panama City Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and Porlamar’s Santiago Marino Caribbean International Airport (PMV) on Nov. 26.
The route will operate 3X-weekly, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, using Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. It is expected to provide more than 45,000 seats annually and connect Margarita Island with more than 50 destinations through Copa’s Panama City hub.
Porlamar will become Copa’s sixth destination in Venezuela, joining Barcelona, Barquisimeto, Caracas, Maracaibo and Valencia.
In Asia, Turkish Airlines will expand its mainland China network to four destinations with the launch of service between Istanbul Airport (IST) and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) on Nov. 11. The Star Alliance member will operate the route 3X-weekly using 787-9 aircraft.
Outbound flights will depart Istanbul on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with return services operating on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Chengdu joins Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou in Turkish Airlines’ mainland China network. The route will also add competition to the Istanbul-Chengdu market, which is already served by Sichuan Airlines.
Turkish has been directing more capacity toward Asia following strong demand and changing traffic flows caused by disruption in the Middle East. The airline’s one-way capacity from Istanbul to Asian destinations increased 17.8% year over year during summer 2026, while seats to mainland China rose 71.5%.
Air Astana will add another Asian route at the end of the month, beginning 2X-weekly flights between Almaty International Airport (ALA) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) on Nov. 30. The service will use Airbus A321LR aircraft configured with 16 business-class and 150 economy-class seats. Flights will depart Almaty on Mondays and Thursdays, with return services leaving Tokyo on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Tokyo will become Air Astana’s first destination in Japan and its 22nd new route launched during 2026. The flights will also be offered under the airline’s existing codeshare partnership with Japan Airlines, providing onward connections in the Japanese market.
Elsewhere, IndiGo will strengthen its African network with daily flights between Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) and Dar es Salaam Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), Tanzania, from Nov. 20. The A320neo service will make IndiGo the only Indian airline flying nonstop between the two cities.
Dar es Salaam joins Nairobi, Mauritius and Seychelles in the carrier’s African network, supporting traffic generated by trade, tourism, education and family links between India and East Africa. The route forms part of IndiGo’s continued international narrowbody expansion as it ends its damp-leased 787 operation and prepares to introduce its own Airbus A350s from 2028.
Air New Zealand will close the month by adding two international services from Christchurch Airport (CHC), enabled by 787-9s returning to operation following engine-maintenance disruption and the arrival of additional aircraft. A 3X-weekly route to Tokyo Narita will begin Nov. 28, restoring a market the airline previously served in 2015. Flights to Perth Airport (PER) will follow on Nov. 30, also operating 3X-weekly with 787-9s. Air New Zealand last served Christchurch-Perth in 2019.
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