The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements for aviation professionals.

Aug. 18 

LCC Air Arabia Maroc is launching two new routes to Dakhla, the capital of the claimed Moroccan administrative region Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab on the edge of the Western Sahara. Flights from Marrakesh Menara Airport to Dakhla Airport will commence on Oct. 29, operating twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. A 2X-weekly service from Fes Sais International Airport also starts the same day. Both routes will use Airbus A320s.

Hong Kong’s HK Express is opening a new route to Manila, Philippines. Daily operations from Hong Kong International Airport to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport will start on Oct. 13. “Just a short flight away, the Philippines not only offers a quick getaway from Hong Kong, but is also home for Filipinos working in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area,” says HK Express CEO Jeanette Mao.

Tunisian carrier Nouvelair plans to commence a new service to Copenhagen. Starting Oct. 16, flights will link Tunis-Carthage International Airport and Copenhagen Airport (CPH) once a week utilizing Airbus A320 equipment. The airline previously served CPH from Monastir between February 2018 and November 2019.

The U.S. Transportation Department has granted American Airlines a temporary dormancy waiver for select U.S.-Cuba frequencies for the winter 2023-24 season. The waiver covers two of the eight daily Miami-Havana roundtrips on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; one daily Miami-Varadero on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; one daily Miami-Santiago de Cuba on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and one of the two daily Miami-Santa Clara roundtrips. The decision is effective through March 30, 2024. American requested the waiver in July due to market conditions presenting “continued challenges to the rebound of passenger demand.”

Air Algerie has scheduled the launch of two new intra-African routes. According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, service between Algiers and Douala, Cameroon, will operate three times a week from Oct. 29 aboard Boeing 737-700s and -800s. Flights to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will launch the following day and run 2X-weekly using Airbus A330-200s.

Aug. 17 

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) is to launch three routes to Pakistan from Sept. 20. Flights from Baku to Islamabad will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays; to Lahore on Mondays and Fridays; and to Karachi on Thursdays and Sundays. “The opening of new AZAL flights promises to promote the development of ties between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, promote tourism, international transportation and strengthen diplomatic relations,” the carrier says in a statement.

Delta Air Lines is expanding its flight schedule to China later this year, offering 10X-weekly flights to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) from its Seattle (SEA) and Detroit (DTW) hubs. Beginning Oct. 29, the airline will operate daily flights from SEA and 3X-weekly service from DTW. In March 2024, the carrier also plans to resume its 4X-weekly PVG service from Los Angeles, a route last operated in February 2020.

Emirates and Air Canada have expanded their codeshare partnership. The agreement covers 11 domestic destinations served by Air Canada from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), with an additional 69 points accessible on an interline basis. Emirates launched a new route to YUL in July.

Croatia Airlines is introducing a new international route from Zadar to Munich, Germany, during the northern winter 2023-24 season. Flights will be offered twice a week from Oct. 31. Additionally, the carrier plans to offer a weekly Osijek-Munich service, while the likes of Split-Zurich, Rijeka-Munich and Pula-Zurich will be extended into the winter. Croatia Airlines expects to operate 11.8% more flights this winter compared with last year, with capacity set to grow by 13.6%.

Canada’s WestJet has announced the addition of a nonstop service between Kelowna and Toronto Pearson International Airport to the airline’s 2023-24 winter schedule. Operating 2X-weekly, flights will begin on Nov. 5. The route will depart Toronto on Sundays and Thursdays at 7.30 p.m., returning the following day at 10 a.m.

Air Transat has added Brazilian carrier Azul Linhas Aéreas to its virtual interlining platform. Quebec-based travellers can now combine select Air Transat and Azul Airlines flights to destinations such as Sao Paulo and Manaus in Brazil, via a layover in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando in Florida. This addition brings the total number of partners accessible through the ‘connectair by Air Transat’ platform to 12.

Indian LCC IndiGo has firmed plans for two more routes to Central Asia. The carrier, which commenced service to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku on Aug. 11, will launch service to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 22, and to Almaty, Kazakhstan, the following day. IndiGo will operate 4X-weekly nonstop flights between Delhi and Tashkent, and a 3X-weekly service between Delhi and Almaty.

Aug. 16

Avianca is launching a new route between Peru and Bolivia from Oct. 30. Flights will connect Cuzco’s Teniente Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport with El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia. Frequencies will be 4X-weekly using Airbus A320 aircraft. The new nonstop service will make more than 5,700 seats per month available between the cities. Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows the Cuzco-La Paz market has been unserved nonstop since August 2020, when Amaszonas last operated the route.

Greece’s Aegean Airlines is adding flights between Athens and Azerbaijan's capital Baku. The route will commence on Sept. 29, operating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays using Airbus A320s and A320neos. The route has been unserved since Aegean last offered flights between the destinations in September 2013.

Fiji Airways is exploring the possibility of launching routes to Beijing, Dallas, Seattle, Seoul and Shanghai, the airline has announced. Numerous destinations in Australia are also under review, alongside Noumea, New Caledonia; Wallis Island; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The carrier revealed the plans after taking delivery of its newest Airbus A350-900XWB. “As the national airline, we recognize our role is not just to be the bridge to and from the world, but to support the growth of tourism. One of the ways we can do this is by introducing new destinations with potential for high tourism opportunities,” CEO Andre Viljoen says.

Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines has inaugurated its daily service between Taipei and Clark International Airport, the airline’s third destination in the Philippines. Flights will operate using Airbus A321neo aircraft configured in a two-class layout. Starlux CEO Glenn Chai says: “Clark has tremendous business and tourism potential. Formerly the largest U.S. military base in Asia, Clark offers a mix of fascinating history, a fast-growing economic center, breathtaking natural landscapes and vibrant cultural experiences.” Alongside the Taipei route, Cebu Pacific has commenced a domestic service from Clark to Cagayan de Oro.

Star Alliance partners South African Airways (SAA) and Lufthansa have resumed their codeshare agreement. The move will enable SAA passengers to travel on Lufthansa’s daily Frankfurt-Johannesburg service and connect to a host of European destinations via Frankfurt. SAA says that it will also codeshare on Swiss’ Zurich-Johannesburg route once regulatory approval is granted.

Aug. 15

Finnair is adding more flights between Helsinki Airport (HEL) and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) this winter in response to increased demand for travel to Thailand. From Oct. 29, frequencies will rise from 11X-weekly to double-daily using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Flights will depart HEL at 1.50 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. each day, arriving into BKK at 6.20 a.m. and 9.05 a.m. the following morning. On the return, flights will depart Bangkok at 8.00 a.m. and 10.40 a.m. each day, arriving into Finnair’s home hub at 3.30 p.m. and 6.10 p.m. that afternoon.

Taiwan’s EVA Air is increasing winter-season flights between Taipei Taoyuan and Seattle from 4X-weekly to daily, effective Oct. 31 until Feb. 6, 2024. The airline currently operates the 6,061-mi. (5,267-nm) route on using Boeing 787-10 equipment.

Australian carrier Rex has been re-awarded three regulated routes in Western Australia (WA) through a competitive tender process. The routes are Perth-Albany, Perth-Esperance and Perth-Carnarvon-Monkey Mia. The new contracts commence on Oct. 2 and run until July 2, 2028. “We will repay the trust of the WA state government by putting maximum priority on the services in the state,” Rex Chairman Lim Kim Hai says.

Southwest Airlines has announced the addition of a crew base at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the second quarter of 2024. Nashville will become the 12th crew base in the airline’s system. “Given our love for Nashville and the critical importance it plays in our network, it’s a natural choice to make further investments by adding a crew base and doubling down on our commitment to [the city],” Southwest COO Andrew Watterson says.

Kenya Airways will resume a 3X-weekly Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport route on Nov. 21, the airline has confirmed. Flights from Nairobi will operate using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The carrier previously offered a Nairobi-Bangkok-Guangzhou, China, service, but replaced this in February 2023 with nonstop Nairobi-Guangzhou flights.

Azerbaijan Airlines, in partnership with tour operator PASHA Travel, plans to increase the number of charter flights to Egypt. Starting from Nov. 4, flights from Baku to Sharm el-Sheikh will be operated twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Aug. 14

China Southern Airlines is resuming flights to Brisbane, Australia, for the first time since before the pandemic. Service from Guangzhou will commence on Nov. 17, operating four times per week using Airbus A350s. China was the Australian state of Queensland’s biggest tourism earner before the COVID-19 crisis, contributing AU$1.61 billion ($1.05 billion) in overnight visitor expenditure. Brisbane Airport says the airline intends to take the route daily within two years. “The timing is perfect with the announcement on Thursday by the Chinese government that it will allow travel agencies in China to book outbound group travel to Australia,” Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff adds.

Indian LCC IndiGo has inaugurated its first route to Baku, Azerbaijan. Flights from New Delhi will operate four times per week. Baku becomes the 30th international destination and 108th overall destination in IndiGo’s network.

From Oct. 1, Aeroitalia will open three new routes from Ancona International Airport to Milan Linate, Naples and Rome Fiumicino. The daily flights will be operated with an ATR 72-600 with 68 seats. Francesco Acquaroli, the president of the Italian Marche region, of which Ancona is the capital, says the new domestic routes are “essential for the tourist, economic and social attractiveness and development of our region.”

Vietjet has launched its first flights connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Kochi, India. Service will be four times per week every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with a flight time of about five hours per leg. With the commencement of the new route to Cochin International Airport and the newly announced Ho Chi Minh City-Tiruchirappalli service, the Vietnamese LCC will be operating a total of 35 Vietnam-India flights each week.