The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
April 10
Wizz Air will open a new base at Turin, with two aircraft as part of its expansion in Italy. The first aircraft will be based at the airport from Sept. 14, followed by a second from Oct. 25. The investment will support seven new routes and increase capacity from Turin to nearly 1.3 million seats in 2026. New routes include Turin-Barcelona (daily from Sept. 14), Bilbao (3X-weekly from Sept. 14), Valencia (4X-weekly from Sept. 15), Madrid (4X-weekly from Oct. 25) and Malaga (3X-weekly from Oct. 26). Domestic expansion includes Rome Fiumicino (up to 11X-weekly from Sept. 14), Naples (daily from Dec. 1) and Palermo (daily from May 4, increasing to 2X-daily from Sept. 14). Wizz Air will also launch Turin-London Luton (3X-weekly) from June 9.
Etihad Airways has announced plans to increase service to Chicago and Kabul, Afghanistan. Flights from Abu Dhabi to Chicago O’Hare will rise from daily to 2X-daily starting June 15, operated by Airbus A350 aircraft. The airline will also increase its Kabul service to daily flights from May 1, up from 4X-weekly since its launch on March 20. The route is operated using Airbus A320 aircraft. Etihad says the Kabul frequency increase reflects strong demand for both point-to-point and connecting traffic, particularly supporting diaspora travel and trade links.
Cabo Verde Airlines will commence service between Praia and Recife, Brazil, from May 7. The route will operate 2X-weekly, with departures from Praia on Thursdays and Saturdays and return flights from Recife on Fridays and Sundays. The airline last served Recife on a regular scheduled basis in April 2020. Brazil’s Ports and Airports Ministry says the route is part of a broader strategy to expand international connectivity beyond the country’s main southern hubs.
Iberia Express will resume seasonal service between Madrid and Reykjavik Keflavik beginning June 6. The route will operate 2X-weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, through the end of August. The carrier will become the sole operator of nonstop flights between the destinations, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows.
April 9
Etihad Airways plans to launch a seasonal service between Abu Dhabi and Dhaka, Bangladesh, beginning June 26. The route will operate 4X-weekly using Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline says the service targets strong demand for both passenger and freight traffic between the UAE and Bangladesh, particularly supporting export sectors such as textiles. The new route will also enhance connectivity for Bangladeshi diaspora communities. “Dhaka is a strategically important market, with strong and sustained demand across both passenger and cargo segments,” Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves says. “This service allows us to deploy capacity where it is most needed.”
AirAsia and AirAsia X will suspend 10 routes over the coming week due to rising fuel costs linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Suspensions include Bali-Banjarmasin from April 14; Jakarta-Manado, Makassar-Luwuk and Palu-Makassar from April 16; Bangkok Don Mueang-Shanghai Pudong from April 17; Kuala Lumpur-Darwin from April 28; Bali-Balikpapan from May 4; Kuala Lumpur-Kozhikode and Hong Kong-Okinawa from May 7; and Bangkok Don Mueang-Xi’an from May 11. The airline says it continues to review its network and will provide updates on any route resumptions.
Scoot will expand its Indonesia network with new routes to Belitung and Pontianak alongside frequency increases across Asia-Pacific and Europe. Singapore–Belitung service will launch May 3, operating 2X-weekly, while Singapore–Pontianak will begin June 29, operating 3X-weekly. Both routes will be served using Embraer 190-E2 aircraft. Scoot is also increasing frequencies across several routes, including Phuket (17X- to 21X-weekly), Bali and Jakarta (28X- to 35X-weekly) and Lombok (4X- to 10X-weekly). Additional increases include Manado (to daily), Labuan Bajo (2X- to 3X-weekly) and Sibu (3X- to 4X-weekly). In North Asia, Okinawa will increase to 4X-weekly and Changsha to 5X-weekly, while Vienna will rise from 3X to 4X-weekly from June.
Starlux Airlines will open a new route between Taipei and Denpasar-Bali on Oct. 1. Flights will operate 5X-weekly using Airbus A321neo aircraft. The carrier says Bali will offer point-to-point demand from Taiwan, as well as supporting transit traffic from North America and Europe via Taipei. The launch will expand Starlux’s Southeast Asia network to more than 13 destinations. It comes as the airline also plans to launch flights to Busan, South Korea, on June 1 and Prague, Czech Republic, from Aug. 1. The latter route will mark its debut in Europe.
Centrum Air intends to introduce daily service between Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Antalya, Turkey, beginning May 29. The route will operate daily through the summer season using widebody Airbus A330 aircraft. The carrier says Antalya is one of the most in-demand leisure destinations, with strong seasonal demand driven by tourism to Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. In March, it was announced that Antalya will host Routes Europe 2027.
April 8
Malaysia Airlines will expand its East Asia network with two new routes to China and a return to Fukuoka in Japan after nearly two decades. Daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Shenzhen will commence on July 1, followed by Changsha from July 8. A 5X-weekly service to Fukuoka will begin on Sept. 2. The airline is also increasing frequencies across key markets, including Kuala Lumpur-London Heathrow from 14X to 16X-weekly in April, Brisbane up to 7X-weekly from October, Manila from 21X to 28X-weekly from July, and Colombo progressively to 10X-weekly by May.
AnimaWings will launch a new service between Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and Thessaloniki, Greece, beginning June 2. The route will operate 2X-weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and will be the only nonstop connection between the two cities. The new service complements AnimaWings’ growing network from Cluj, which also includes Athens (2X-weekly from April), seasonal flights to Olbia and up to 13X-weekly domestic service to Bucharest. Flights will be operated using Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Qantas Airways has temporarily adjusted its Sydney-Paris Charles de Gaulle service via Perth due to the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East. For travel from April 20 to May 17, northbound services from Sydney and Perth to Paris will operate as one-stop itineraries via Singapore (SIN), replacing the usual direct routing. Southbound flights from Paris to Perth and Sydney will continue unchanged. From May 18 to July 26, both northbound and southbound services will operate via Singapore, replacing all nonstop operations on the route.
Gabon and Algeria have signed a new air services agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral aviation ties and improving connectivity between North and Central Africa. The agreement includes expanded traffic rights, more flexible frequencies and simplified administrative procedures to support route development. The two countries also agreed on technical cooperation measures, including mutual recognition of licenses, frameworks for codeshare operations and alignment of regulatory oversight. As part of the move, Air Algérie is expected to launch a new direct service between Algiers and Libreville in the coming months.
April 7
Virgin Atlantic will increase frequencies on its London Heathrow-Bengaluru route from 11X to 13X-weekly beginning June 1. The route is operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The increased schedule is designed to improve connectivity between Bengaluru and the UK, as well as onward connections to North America, including Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco and New York. Virgin Atlantic says the expansion also strengthens its partnership with IndiGo, providing access to more than 30 destinations across India via Bengaluru.
Air India plans to launch new service between New Delhi and Halwara, located in the Ludhiana district of Punjab, beginning May 15, becoming the first airline to operate flights to the airport. The route will operate 2X-daily using Airbus A320-family aircraft. The airline says the schedule is designed to offer same-day connections via New Delhi to destinations across Europe. “We are pleased to serve the people and communities in Ludhiana and neighbouring towns and cities,” says Nipun Aggarwal, CCO at Air India.
IndiGo will deploy its second Airbus A321XLR between New Delhi and Istanbul beginning April 19. The route operates daily and enables onward connections to more than 50 international destinations through IndiGo’s codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines. The A321XLR will feature a dual-class configuration with 183 economy seats and 12 IndiGoStretch business-class seats.
KLM intends to increase capacity on its Amsterdam- Trondheim route by 15% for the summer 2026 season, adding about 20,000 additional seats. The route will operate up to 3X-daily through October, with increased use of Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. KLM says the capacity increase reflects strong demand for travel to and from Norway, particularly for connections to Europe and long-haul destinations via Amsterdam.
Asiana Airlines has opened new nonstop service between Seoul Incheon and Budapest, with flights operating 2X-weekly beginning April 3. The new route complements existing service by Korean Air, with the two carriers now offering more than 2,000 weekly seats and daily nonstop connectivity between Hungary and South Korea. Budapest becomes Asiana’s ninth European destination, joining cities including Paris, Frankfurt and London.
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