The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
April 5
Turkish Airlines has opened service between Istanbul and Tripoli, flying to the Libyan capital for the first time in 10 years. Flights will be operated 3X-weekly with a Boeing 737-800.
U.S. carrier Avelo Airlines will launch service between Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in southern California and Las Vegas with a Boeing 737. The route will be flown 2X-weekly from May 3. BUR was the original airport from which Avelo commenced service in April 2021. It has flown 1.1 million passengers to and from BUR on more than 9,000 flights. Las Vegas will mark the 14th destination Avelo serves from BUR.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) COO Emma Gilthorpe will leave the airport on April 26 to become CEO of the UK Royal Mail postal service. Javier Echave, currently LHR’s CFO, will become COO. Sally Ding, the London hub’s director of treasury and corporate finance, will take on the role of acting CFO while a search for a permanent CFO is conducted.
April 4
IndiGo will open nonstop service between Kannur, India, and Abu Dhabi from May 9. The route will be flown daily. “With the addition of these flights, IndiGo will operate 56 weekly flights to Abu Dhabi from eight cities in India, promoting travel, trade and tourism between the two countries,” says Vinay Malhotra, Indigo’s head of global sales. Meanwhile, the airline has added Agatti, India, to its network, launching daily, nonstop domestic flights to Bengaluru. Agatti becomes the 88th domestic point and 121st overall destination in its network.
China’s Juneyao Air on April 2 operated its first flight on the Shanghai Pudong-Athens, Greece, route, marking the delayed launch of a planned service that was scrapped because of the pandemic. The 5,315-mi. (4,619-nm) route will be flown 3X-weekly with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Qantas has started service between Sydney and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The route will be flown 1X-weekly with a Boeing 737. The airline notes it last operated the route more than 50 years ago. During the 1950s, a Qantas Douglas DC4 Skymaster flew between the cities.
April 3
Bulgaria and Romania have joined the passport-free Schengen Area by air and sea—though not yet by ground. The 29-country zone includes European Union (EU) countries—except Cyprus and Ireland—as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Air passengers coming from Schengen countries to Bulgaria and Romania will no longer have to go through passport checks. “Schengen is part of the fundamental fabric of European air travel, allowing a smoother passenger experience and more efficient operations with faster connecting times and streamlined checks,” says Olivier Jankovec, Airports Council International Europe director general. “Facilitating travel for EU citizens in Romania and Bulgaria is an important step forward for Europe … This development will have positive economic and social repercussions for local communities and the wider economy.”
Canada Jetlines will launch service between Toronto Pearson and Miami from June 29. The route will be operated 1X-weekly with an Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline already serves Orlando, Florida.
Japan Airlines (JAL) has opened service between Tokyo Haneda and Doha, Qatar. The route is being operated daily with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft configured to carry 203 passengers, including 52 lie-flat business-class seats. JAL says it is “the first Japanese airline to operate nonstop service to and from the Middle East,” adding that passengers can connect via Doha onboard Oneworld partner Qatar Airways’ flights to destinations across the globe.
Ryanair has launched service from Norwich Airport (NWI) in England to three destinations: Alicante, Spain; Faro, Portugal; and Malta. The Irish ULCC says it will operate the three routes 2X-weekly each. NWI becomes the 22nd airport in the UK served by Ryanair, which becomes the fourth airline to operate scheduled flights from Norwich. KLM, Loganair and TUI currently serve NWI.
April 2
IndiGo has added Jagdalpur Airport (JGB) to its network, marking its 87th domestic point, with two domestic routes launched. IndiGo notes the Jagdalpur area is “home to several waterfalls, wildlife sanctuaries and ancient temples, making it a popular tourist destination.” The airline on March 31 opened daily flights between JGB and Hyderabad. On April 1, IndiGo commenced 4X-weekly service between JGB and Raipur. Overall, including international points, JGB is the 120th airport in the carrier’s network.
Etihad Airways on March 31 kicked off flights between its Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) base and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), the fourth U.S. airport the carrier is now serving. The route will be flown 4X-weekly with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. BOS joins Chicago O’Hare, New York John. F Kennedy and Washington Dulles airports as U.S. points served by the UAE carrier. Etihad also operates to Toronto Pearson. The 787-9 being used on the AUH-BOS route is configured with 290 seats, including 28 in business class.
Norwegian launched flights between Aarhus Airport (AAR) in Denmark and Alicante, the first of three routes from AAR to Spain the airline is opening. The route started on March 31 and will be flown 2X-weekly. From April 6, the carrier will begin 1X-weekly service between AAR and Malaga. From May 2, Norwegian will start 2X-weekly flights between AAR and Palma de Mallorca. AAR is a new network point for the airline.
India’s Akasa Air opened 4X-weekly flights between Mumbai and Doha. Neelu Khatri, Akasa's senior VP of international, calls the route “a milestone moment in Akasa’s journey as we enter a phase of rapid global expansion.”
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