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

Aug. 11

U.S. carrier Avelo Airlines has announced plans to launch a second route to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The LCC said earlier this month it intends to begin operations to San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) from Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) in Connecticut. It has now confirmed plans to serve SJU from Wilmington Airport (ILG), Delaware. Avelo will begin serving San Juan on Nov. 15, with a 2X-weekly nonstop service on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Additionally, the airline will launch two flights per week from ILG to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, from Nov. 2. Both routes will utilize the two 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft that Avelo has based at ILG.

Spain’s Iberia Express plans to launch a new route to Cairo at the start of the northern winter 2023-24 season. Flights from Madrid will commence on Oct. 30, operating three times per week aboard Airbus A321neo aircraft. The route will become the airline’s first service to Africa, data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows. Iberia Express will compete in the Madrid-Cairo market with Egyptair, which flies the route daily using A321s. Iberia Express’ parent Iberia also provides a 1X-weekly service at present with A320s.

SunExpress is returning to Graz, Austria, with regular scheduled flights for the first time since October 2016. The LCC, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will launch an Antalya-Graz service from April 2, 2024. Flights will be offered three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

IndiGo has opened two new daily, direct flights from Ahmedabad to destinations in the Middle East. The routes link the Indian city with Abu Dhabi and Jeddah, Saudia Arabia. “With the introduction of these flights, IndiGo operates 49 flights a week to Abu Dhabi from seven cities across India and 35 weekly flights a week to Jeddah from five cities in India,” IndiGo Head of Global Sales Vinay Malhotra says. “These new routes will not only offer travelers increased choices for vacations and business, but also facilitate trade, particularly from Ahmedabad, known for its robust textile industry.”

AirAsia has inaugurated flights between Penang, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. The route will be offered three times per week. It becomes the LCC’s seventh international route from Penang.

Aug. 10

Bolivia’s Amaszonas has suspended commercial operations until Aug. 15. The move comes after the Bolivian government confirmed the grounding of four Amaszonas aircraft due to a dispute with lessor Gy Aviation Lease 1816. The airline was scheduled to operate seven domestic routes this week, alongside international flights from Santa Cruz to Asuncion, Paraguay, and Iquique, Chile.

The U.S. FAA says it will allow airlines flexibility on slot-usage requirements for airports in the New York City area through Oct. 28 as part of efforts to curb congestion caused by ongoing air traffic controller shortages. The agency adds it continues to expect that airlines will operate larger aircraft to transport more passengers and make sure customers are fully informed about any possible disruptions. The FAA first agreed to give airlines slot waivers in New York-area airports in March following a request from Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. It was initially issued to run from May 15 through Sept. 15. The waiver covers New York John F Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Etihad Airways has announced plans to increase frequencies on 11 routes as part of its winter 2023-24 schedule. Service to Cairo; Chennai, India; Frankfurt; Islamabad; Kochi, India; Madrid; Malé, the Maldives; Milan Malpensa; Munich; Phuket, Thailand; and Rome Fiumicino will all receive additional flights during the season. Other changes include the resumption of Abu Dhabi-Kozhikode, India, with one flight per day from Jan. 1, 2024. The route has been suspended since 2020.

The Australian state of Queensland has launched the Queensland-India Trade and Investment Strategy 2023-27, which says securing a nonstop link between Brisbane Airport and India will be prioritized. “Face-to-face interactions are vitally important in business in India which is why the Queensland India Trade Strategy focuses on providing Queensland businesses with more opportunities to build strong relationships with potential partners,” Trade and Investment Minister Cameron Dick says.

Aug. 9

Startup Bermudair has been granted exemption authority and a foreign air carrier permit from the U.S. Transportation Department to operate scheduled and charter flights between Bermuda and the U.S. The airline secured its air operator certificate in July and plans to operate Embraer E175 aircraft on routes to Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Westchester County, New York.

Canada’s WestJet is adding a new warm-weather route from Vancouver International Airport to Ixtapa, Mexico. Flights will operate once a week from Dec. 22. Chris Avery, WestJet's vice president for network planning, alliances and commercial development, says: “In alignment with our strategy, we are proud to add Vancouver to the list of Canadian communities through which we are creating extensive and affordable opportunities for our guests to plan their winter getaways.”

Dominican Republic-based startup Arajet has opened reservations for flights to Argentina. The airline will start flying from capital city Santo Domingo to Buenos Aires Ezeiza on Nov. 14. Flights will be offered three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Santo Domingo, returning the next day.

Thai AirAsia X is to resume flights to Sapporo New Chitose, in Japan, from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi during the northern winter 2023-24 season. Flights will be daily From Oct. 29 using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The route was launched last December, but paused during the current summer season.

IndiGo has commenced a 3X-weekly service to Tbilisi, Georgia, from New Delhi as part of its Central Asia expansion. Tbilisi marks the 29th international and 107th overall destination in the Indian LCC’s network. The market between New Delhi and the Georgian capital was previously served by Ukraine International Airlines from January 2020 until the onset of the pandemic in March the same year—and again for a short time during July and August 2021. IndiGo hopes the 2,013-mi. (1,749-nm) route will appeal to leisure travelers, as well as attracting corporate traffic.

Tajikistan-based Somon Air plans to increase service to Russia. Flights from Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe to Moscow Zhukovsky will resume on Aug. 15, operating weekly. Service between Khujand and Moscow Domodedovo will also double to 2X-weekly from Aug. 17. Additionally, Somon Air intends to add additional weekly frequencies on routes from Dushanbe to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Aug. 8

Delta Air Lines and Kenya Airways are expanding their codeshare partnership to include Kenya Airways’ nonstop daily route between Nairobi and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK). “The expansion of the codeshare is historic as it not only allows KQ to expand its footprint in the U.S., providing seamless connectivity on a single ticket for those travelling for business, leisure or studies,” Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka says, “it also offers seamless connectivity to those visiting Africa for similar reasons through JFK into KQ’s hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.” The carriers say the expanded codeshare will allow for connections to 31 destinations in Africa and 57 across the U.S. and Canada.

Smartwings plans to launch 3X-weekly service from Nuremberg, Germany, to Abu Dhabi during the winter 2023-24 season. The route will be operated on behalf of Etihad Holidays and marks a new destination for travelers from Nuremberg.

FlyOne has opened a daily route from Chișinău to London Stansted Airport, thereby increasing the frequency of flights to the UK capital to two per day. The Moldova-based airline will offer Stansted service in the evenings, alongside daily flights to London Luton in the mornings. “We are proud to succeed in doubling daily flights to/from London, where we have a large Moldovan community,” FlyOne General Manager Mircea Maleca says.

Aug. 7

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has been cleared to launch scheduled service to Sri Lanka. The county’s civil aviation authority says the ULCC has been issued with a foreign aircraft operator certificate after passing all technical and operational requirements. The airline intends to commence nonstop flights linking Abu Dhabi International Airport and Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport.

Greek carrier Sky Express plans to open routes to three new destinations: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Warsaw. From Oct. 29, the airline will serve Athens-Dusseldorf four times per week; Athens-Frankfurt six times per week; and Athens-Warsaw five times per week. “The expansion of our flight schedule to three very strategic airports in Europe confirms our commitment to create even more connectivity opportunities for the country,” chief commercial director Gerasimos Skaltsas says.

Delta Air Lines says it plans to offer 30% more seats to destinations in Latin America during winter 2023-24, compared with last year’s winter season. The carrier will boost Saturday frequencies from Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis to various locations in the region, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Delta will begin flying these added Saturday routes seasonally starting Jan. 13, 2024. The SkyTeam alliance member is also adding an extra trip from Seattle to Cancun that will depart on Fridays and return on Saturdays. This route will begin operating seasonally starting Dec. 22 using Boeing 737-800s.

Vietjet has commenced a nonstop route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. The daily service becomes the LCC’s third route linking Vietnam and Indonesia. “More direct flights between Vietnam and Indonesia will further creating abundant opportunities for seamless travel, business collaborations, and boosting bilateral trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges,” Vietjet VP Nguyen Thanh Son says.

Indian LCC IndiGo has commenced its inaugural flights to Nairobi, Kenya, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Service from Mumbai to Nairobi started on Aug. 5 and will operate daily. Mumbai-Jakarta will also be daily from Aug. 7. The routes increase IndiGo’s network to 106 destinations overall.