The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
May 3
Etihad Airways has launched reciprocal interline partnerships with five new airline partners. The agreements are with Kam Air in Afghanistan, SKY express in Greece, Rex Airlines in Australia, Jeju Air in Korea and Myanmar Airways International. Arik De, Etihad’s chief revenue and commercial officer, says: “We continue to broaden our network reach enabling seamless connection across our network, giving our guests a broader range of travel options. These five interline agreements make life easier for guests of all the airlines involved.” Etihad now has 123 interline, codeshare and strategic partnerships.
Frontier Airlines has resumed service at Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) with the launch of two routes. Flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport will be offered twice a week, while Denver International Airport will receive four flights per week. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Frontier last served MSO in November 2022.
UK carrier Eastern Airways is resuming flights between Teesside International Airport, England, and Aberdeen International Airport, Scotland. Operations will commence on May 20, operating daily on weekdays and Sundays, before increasing to 2X-daily from Sept. 9. The airline previously operated a Teesside-Aberdeen service between 2001 and 2022. “We more than any operator know the value of connecting the UK's energy capital, Aberdeen, to significant employment centers throughout the UK, so adding Teesside to our growing route mix, while also operating services such as Amsterdam on behalf of KLM and the summer seasonal Jersey flights, all help ensure the long-term future of connectivity from Teesside,” Eastern Airways Commercial Director Roger Hage says.
Austrian Airlines has restarted flights between Vienna and Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Service will be 3X-weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Airbus A320s. OAG data shows that Georgian Airways also serves the route, flying twice a week onboard Boeing 737s.
Avelo Airlines has opened two new routes from Tweed-New Haven Airport in Connecticut to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and Charlotte's Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) in North Carolina. Flights to ATL will be 4X-weekly on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and service to USA will initially be 2X-weekly on Thursdays and Sundays, doubling to 4X-weekly from June 14. Avelo has also opened a new base at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, its sixth aircraft base in the U.S. Four new routes have been launched—to Boise, Idaho, Kalispell, Montana, Pasco, Washington, and Salem, Massachusetts, each operating twice a week.
May 2
ITA Airways has received approval from Ghana’s Transport Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority to launch a new route to Accra. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport are scheduled to start on June 6, operating three times per week using Airbus A321neo aircraft. ITA will become the 24th international airline to operate into Accra.
Caribbean Airlines is adding a new service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Commencing July 14, the carrier intends to serve Trinidad-Barbados-San Juan three times per week, subject to government approval. “This move is crucial to our growth strategy and represents our commitment to offering our customers convenient and reliable travel and trade options,” CEO Garvin Medera says. The airline says the route is designed to strengthen links between the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Latvia’s airBaltic has today opened the first of three new summer routes from Tallinn, Estonia. Service to Billund, Denmark, will be twice a week. A second new route to Malta begins on May 4, operating 1X-weekly, followed by service to Burgas, Bulgaria, on May 25, operating 2X-weekly. “Tallinn is one of airBaltic's home cities, and we are dedicated to improving connectivity from there to offer our customers more travel options,” airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss says.
Korean Air plans to open a new route to Macau this summer. Flights from Seoul Incheon International Airport to Macau International Airport will begin on July 1, operating daily. The total flight time is approximately 3 hr. 40 min.
Emerald Airlines, operator of Aer Lingus Regional services, has commenced a seasonal route from Dublin Airport to Rennes, France. Flights will be operated with ATR 72-600 aircraft, accommodating up to 72 passengers. “Building on the customer demand from summer 2023, we anticipate a warm reception for these flights from both the Irish and French communities,” says Ian Lough, Emerald head of commercial.
Porter Airlines has added its second western Canada destination from Montréal, inaugurating service between Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and Edmonton International Airport. Operations will be daily using 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Service between Montréal and Vancouver was inaugurated in April, with Montréal-Calgary flights starting later this month. The launch of these three new western routes means that Porter will operate eight nonstop routes out of Montréal.
May 1
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a draft determination proposing to grant authorization to Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand for proposed unilateral codesharing on trans-Tasman routes. The carriers are seeking approval for Virgin Australia to place its airline code on services operated by Air New Zealand, which are sold in Australia and originate in Australia. The codeshare rights are provided on the condition that Air New Zealand specifies the fares at which Virgin Australia may market and resupply those itineraries. “This proposed codesharing arrangement has the potential to increase ticketing choices for Australians traveling to New Zealand and provide Velocity frequent flyer program benefits and international lounge access for eligible Virgin Australia customers,” says ACCC deputy chair, Mick Keogh.
Malaysia’s AirAsia plans to open two new routes to India, connecting Kuala Lumpur with Guwahati and Kozhikode. The move marks the airline’s 14th and 15th routes to the country. Flights on each sector will start on Aug. 1, operating three times per week. Paul Caroll, AirAsia group chief commercial officer, says: “We are accelerating in India, one of AirAsia’s biggest markets, with two brand new routes to these renowned destinations. Both Kozhikode and Guwahati boast immense tourism potential.”
Norwegian has launched a new route from Copenhagen to Ljubljana, Slovenia. Flights will be offered twice a week with a 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. “The new connection will also create an influx of tourists, as many Swedes and Norwegians use Copenhagen Airport as a springboard to Europe,” says Babette Stapel, Fraport Slovenia managing director.
Lufthansa has started service between Frankfurt and Chisinau, Moldova, after a four-year hiatus. Flights will initially operate 4X-weekly using Airbus A319 aircraft, rising to 5X-weekly from May 29. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the airline last served Chisinau until the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
China Southern Airlines plans to resume a 5X-weekly service between Guangzhou and Christchurch, New Zealand, in late October. “We recently signed a memorandum of understanding on our aligned goals, which include further building the attraction of the South Island in the shoulder seasons,” says Gordon Beavan, Christchurch Airport general manager of aeronautical development. “One of the aims of this work is to meet increasing interest from China's travelers to ski here, and we hope China Southern will be flying here year-round before much longer.”
April 30
Canada’s WestJet has launched a new transborder route connecting Edmonton and Atlanta. Flights will be offered daily using Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows the airline will be the sole operator of the route. "Our new route to Atlanta will bolster incredible connectivity for Edmonton, stimulating critical new opportunities for the city's vibrant business sector and visitor economy to grow and thrive,” says John Weatherill, WestJet executive vice president and CCO.
Aer Lingus has resumed flights between Dublin Airport (DUB) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) for the first time in four years. Flights will be offered four times per week using Airbus A330-200 equipment. “The reintroduction of this route marks the airline’s full restoration of our pre-pandemic North American network,” says Reid Moody, Aer Lingus chief strategy and planning officer. The resumption comes as Delta Air Lines prepares to enter the MSP-DUB market from May 9, flying daily using Boeing 767-300s.
Latvia’s airBaltic has launched a 2X-weekly route connecting Tampere, Finland, and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The seasonal service will operate through Oct. 11 using Airbus A220-300s. “Tampere is one of airBaltic's home cities, and we are dedicated to improving connectivity from there,” says Thomas Ramdahl, senior vice president for network management. AirBaltic operates eight routes from Tampere to European destinations. This year, the airline plans to add 17 new routes from all its bases and has expanded its network to include seven new countries in the Balkan region.
Air China has been granted approval from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation to begin flying a route linking Beijing Capital and Riyadh. Service will commence on May 6, initially operating 3X-weekly before increasing to daily from July 2. Airbus A330-300 aircraft will be deployed between the cities.
Delta Air Lines is relaunching daily service to Lagos, Nigeria, from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Dec. 1. The SkyTeam alliance member plans to initially offer daily flights using Airbus A330-200 aircraft, before switching to 3X-weekly from Jan. 16. The airline last served the sector in 2022. Additionally, in late October, Delta intends to operate its daily service between JFK and Accra, Ghana, using A330-900neos, rather than Boeing 767-300s.
April 29
Air Astana has started selling tickets for flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Seoul. The 2X-weekly route will begin on June 15 using Airbus A321LR aircraft. The new service from Astana will be operated in addition to the daily flights from Almaty to Seoul. Air Astana previously served Astana-Seoul from 2015 until 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. The carrier’s other new 2024 summer schedule services include frequency increases from Almaty to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent up to 14X-weekly; to Kyrgystan’s capital Bishkek up to 8X-weekly; Georgia’s capital Tbilisi up to 9X-weekly; to Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe up to 4X-weekly; and to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku up to 3X-weekly.
Maldives-based premium leisure startup Beond Airlines has opened reservations for flights between Zurich International Airport and Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport. The airline already operates flights between Zurich and Male, Maldives, with a fuel stop in Dubai. However, it has now been granted fifth freedom rights to sell tickets on the Zurich-Dubai sector. Service will be up to 2X-weekly.
Kuwaiti LCC Jazeera Airways is launching seasonal service to Batumi, Georgia. Flights from Kuwait City will commence on June 14, operating 3X-weekly. Batumi is the second destination Jazeera will serve in Georgia, after the capital city of Tbilisi. “As we continue to expand our network, we strive to add destinations that are unique, affordable, and convenient,” CEO Barathan Pasupathi says. “This is aimed at catering to the growing demand of Kuwaiti travellers that are always seeking fresh holiday options with good connectivity.”
Germany’s Condor has resumed seasonal Airbus A330-900neo flights between Frankfurt and Vancouver. The nonstop service will be offered five times per week. Condor began using A330s on the sector last May having previously operated using Boeing 767-300s. “Vancouver is part of our growing network of gateways in Canada and our second market in the country to receive our new A330neo,” Condor director of sales for the Americas Mikko Turtiainen says. “It is truly a game-changer for Condor and for transatlantic travel, and we are thrilled to bring our next-generation aircraft to both business and leisure travelers in Vancouver.”
Gulf Air plans to resume flights to Iraq after a four-year absence. The Bahraini airline says operations will restart pending completion of regulatory procedures. It previously offered flights from Bahrain to Baghdad, Erbil and Najaf but suspended operations at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
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