Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air and United Airlines are behind some of the more eye-catching route additions in September.
Riyadh Air will add three destinations during the month as it continues the buildup of its network following the start of commercial operations earlier this year. The carrier will launch 3X-weekly Boeing 787-9 flights from Riyadh to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sept. 2, followed by daily service to Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Sept. 9. A 3X-weekly route to Manchester Airport will begin Sept. 19.
The additions will expand Riyadh Air’s network from 11 to 14 destinations, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. Its scheduled two-way capacity will increase 18.6% month over month to 265,692 seats during September.
Manila will be the largest of the three additions by frequency, targeting Saudi Arabia’s substantial Filipino expatriate market alongside business, leisure and connecting traffic. The Bangkok route will strengthen the carrier’s Southeast Asian network, while Manchester becomes its second UK destination after London Heathrow.
The expansion follows the addition of four South Asian destinations in August—Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad and Lahore—and forms part of Riyadh Air’s plan to serve 22 cities by March 2027.
Elsewhere, United will open a new ultra-long-haul link between Newark Liberty International Airport and Seoul Incheon International Airport on Sept. 4. The daily route will use 787-9 aircraft and have a scheduled flying time approaching 16 hr. in the westbound direction.
The service will become the only nonstop connection between Newark and Seoul, complementing United’s existing 2X-daily San Francisco-Incheon operation. The airline will compete for New York-South Korea traffic with Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Air Premia, which serve Seoul from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport.
In Europe, Air China will launch 3X-weekly year-round service from Beijing Capital International Airport to Zagreb via Bucharest on Sept. 4. The Airbus A330-200 operation will restore Air China’s presence in the Romanian capital and establish the first scheduled air link between China and Croatia.
The route reflects the continuing competitive advantage enjoyed by Chinese airlines on Europe services. European carriers remain unable to use Russian airspace, requiring longer flightpaths to many Asian destinations, while Chinese airlines can operate more direct routings. OAG data shows Chinese carriers now account for about 83% of China-Europe capacity excluding Russia, up from approximately two-thirds in 2019.
Elsewhere, China Southern Airlines will return to India. The carrier will begin daily nonstop flights between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sept. 21, restoring a route suspended in February 2020.
The launch follows the gradual reopening of direct air links between China and India after the countries’ foreign ministers agreed in August 2025 to restore scheduled services.
OAG data shows airlines are scheduled to offer about 60,000 seats between China and India during September, up 18.8% from August. IndiGo will account for 37.3% of capacity, followed by China Eastern Airlines with 27.9%, Air India with 18.2% and Air China with 13.1%. China Southern’s partial-month operation represents 3.5%.
Indian LCC Akasa Air will add two international routes during September. A 3X-weekly service between Kochi and Kuwait City will begin Sept. 3, followed by 4X-weekly Mumbai-Hanoi flights on Sept. 4. Both routes will use 737-8 aircraft.
In Europe’s short-haul market, Volotea will expand its Florence base with four international routes between Sept. 21 and Sept. 23. The Spanish LCC will connect Florence with Seville 3X-weekly, while Valencia, Strasbourg and Berlin will each be served 2X-weekly. The expansion will be supported by a second aircraft based in Florence, increasing Volotea’s presence in the Tuscan market.
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