The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Dec. 19
American Airlines has announced 15 new routes for 2026, expanding domestic connectivity and strengthening links between smaller U.S. cities and the carrier’s global network. The additions include new service to Lincoln, Nebraska, which will become American’s 240th U.S. destination. The new routes will be spread across several hubs, including Chicago O’Hare, Phoenix, Dallas Fort Worth, Charlotte, Boston and Miami, using a mix of regional jets and narrowbody aircraft. Chicago O’Hare will be a key focus, with the carrier planning more than 500 daily departures next summer and new service to Erie, Pennsylvania; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Tri-Cities, Tennessee. Phoenix will gain seven new routes, including seasonal service to Anchorage, Alaska, and new links to leisure and secondary markets in Montana, South Dakota and Texas.
Air France, KLM and China Eastern Airlines have extended their codeshare agreement, adding additional options for Air France and KLM passengers traveling within China. Under the extended arrangement, travelers can now book Air France- and KLM-marketed flights operated by China Eastern between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Yiwu.
Etihad Airways will increase capacity at Munich Airport by adding a third daily nonstop flight to Abu Dhabi from Sept. 1, 2026, expanding service on the route from two to three frequencies per day. The additional flight will be operated by an Airbus A321LR, complementing the two existing daily services flown with Boeing 787s. Etihad says the expansion responds to growing demand on the route, which the airline has served since 2004.
EasyJet has announced a new summer 2026 route from London Southend to Ibiza. Flights will begin April 29, operating twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In March, easyJet opened a three Airbus A320neo-aircraft base at London Southend supporting around 1,200 jobs. It is now operating 24 routes from London Southend to leisure destinations across Europe and North Africa.
ITA Airways has opened sales for three new seasonal routes from Rome Fiumicino to Malaga, Valencia and Marseille for the summer 2026 season. The new services will operate daily from June 1 to Sept. 30. The seasonal routes complement broader network enhancements planned for 2026, including the resumption of 2X-daily Rome Fiumicino-London Heathrow flights and the launch of a new intercontinental route between Rome and Houston. The Houston service will begin May 1, becoming ITA’s ninth destination in North America.
Oman’s SalamAir has launched route between Muscat and Abha, Saudi Arabia. Service will be 4X-weekly. Abha becomes the LCC’s fifth destination in Saudi Arabia and follows the recent resumption of flights to Beirut.
LATAM Airlines Brasil will expand its operations in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state from March 2026. At São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport, the airline will add two Sunday frequencies to Belo Horizonte route, raising the total to 58X-weekly flights, and one additional Sunday frequency on the Uberlândia route, bringing the total to 13. From June 15, the Sao Paulo Guarulhos-Uberlandia route will gain five weekday flights, increasing service to 26X-weekly frequencies.
Dec. 18
LOT Polish Airlines plans to launch a new year-round nonstop route between Warsaw and Bangkok, expanding its long-haul network following the recently announced launch of service to San Francisco. The inaugural flight is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026, with the route operating five times per week. Flights will depart Warsaw on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. “Thailand has been, for many years now, one of the most popular destinations among Polish travelers,” the airline says. “It combines huge tourism potential with the growing business significance of Southeast Asia. By offering a direct flight from Warsaw, we provide passengers with a convenient, comfortable and competitive connection that meets the real needs of the market.”
Air Canada has launched a new seasonal nonstop route between Montreal and Santiago de Chile, adding a second direct link between Canada and Chile. The service will operate three times per week during the northern winter season through the end of February 2026 and complements the airline’s long-standing nonstop service between Santiago and Toronto. Flights are operated with Boeing 787 aircraft. Air Canada has served the Santiago–Toronto market since 2003.
Air Transat has operated its inaugural flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Istanbul and Georgetown. The Toronto-Istanbul service will operate year-round, with flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays and an additional Thursday frequency starting in May 2026, while the Toronto-Georgetown route operates twice a week and has been extended through May 29, 2026. “Introducing Istanbul and Georgetown from Toronto is a strategic step in diversifying our offer while serving travelers flying to visit friends and family,” says Transat’s Chief Revenue Officer Sebastian Ponce.
Dec. 17
Vietnam Airlines has opened a nonstop service between Ho Chi Minh City and Copenhagen. The airline says Copenhagen is a high-potential market, particularly during the winter season, when demand from Northern European travelers to Southeast Asia increases. Service will be 3X-weekly, operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The 5,754-mi. (5,000-nm) route will be offered year-round. With the addition of Copenhagen, Vietnam Airlines’ European network has expanded to seven destinations for the winter 2025-26 season: Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Milan Malpensa, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Munich and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
China Eastern Airlines has confirmed plans to begin daily nonstop service between New Delhi and Shanghai Pudong on Jan. 2, 2026, citing strong passenger and trade demand following the route’s relaunch in November 2025 after a five-year suspension. The carrier had initially planned a phased increase from three to 5X-weekly flights, but has moved directly to daily operations. The service will be operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft and supports expanded connectivity between India and China since operations resumed in October.
Latvia’s airBaltic will add four new routes for summer 2026, expanding services from Riga and Vilnius. The airline will launch Riga-Warsaw, operating 3X-weekly from March 30, 2026, and Riga-Gothenburg, served 2X-weekly from April 13. From Vilnius, airBaltic will introduce 2X-weekly service to Chisinau starting April 1 and 3X-weekly flights to Zurich from May 3. The new routes form part of a broader network expansion across the Baltic states, which also includes the resumption of services from Riga to Aberdeen, Belgrade and Yerevan, and from Tallinn to Oslo, alongside previously announced additions from Riga and Tallinn. The expansion will increase seat capacity by 12% in Riga, 11% in Tallinn and 21% in Lithuania. Mantas Vrubliauskas, vice president of network management, says the growth reflects a focus on “offering more destinations, better connectivity and greater flexibility.”
Volotea plans to add three new winter 2026-27 routes from Toulouse. The airline will launch services to Pisa, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, increasing the airport’s total destinations to 23. Pisa flights will begin Nov. 5, 2026, operating twice a week, while Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria will launch Nov. 7, each operating once a week.
Oneworld alliance partners Malaysia Airlines and Royal Air Maroc have signed a codeshare agreement aimed at expanding connectivity between Africa, Europe and Asia. The partnership covers connecting itineraries between Casablanca and Kuala Lumpur via Doha, London and Paris. Under the arrangement, Royal Air Maroc will place its AT code on Malaysia Airlines flights from Kuala Lumpur to Doha, London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, while Malaysia Airlines will add its MH code on Royal Air Maroc flights from Casablanca to the same three gateways.
Canadian carrier Porter Airlines has commenced nonstop service between Toronto Pearson and Grand Cayman, operating up to three times per week, marking the carrier’s continued expansion into Caribbean sun markets. The new route is complemented by 2X-weekly nonstop service from Ottawa beginning Dec. 19. Porter says Grand Cayman is the fifth sun destination it has added this winter from both Toronto Pearson and Ottawa, alongside new routes to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Nassau and Costa Rica. Flights are operated with Embraer 195-E2 aircraft.
Uzbekistan-based Qanot Sharq has opened a 2X-weekly nonstop service between Tashkent and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). The flights will add capacity from the UK to a Central Asian market that has seen rising demand from LGW. The airport says passenger numbers to the region increased 25% year on year from the July to September period. “Central Asia has been a strong performer at London Gatwick this year,” says LGW CCO Jonathan Pollard, adding that Qanot Sharq is the fourth central Asian airline to join the airport’s network since March 2024.
Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines has launched a new international route linking Shymkent and Tbilisi, expanding the carrier’s network into Georgia. The service operates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, using Boeing 737-8 and 737-800 aircraft. The new route adds to SCAT’s international offering from southern Kazakhstan and provides additional nonstop connectivity between Kazakhstan and Georgia.
Dec. 16
ITA Airways and Volotea have submitted a joint bid to operate two public service obligation routes linking Sardinia with mainland Italy. The carriers are bidding for the Cagliari-Rome Fiumicino and Olbia-Milan Linate routes and say they will form a temporary business association if awarded one or both services. “This strategic partnership with ITA Airways marks a pivotal moment for Volotea’s development in Italy,” Volotea founder and CEO Carlos Muñoz says.
Wizz Air has reopened its base at Suceava International Airport, increasing its footprint in northeastern Romania with the allocation of two Airbus A321neo aircraft. The move adds more than 130,000 seats this winter and supports the launch of seven new routes to five countries. New services connect Suceava with Bologna, Milan Bergamo, Venice, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Birmingham, Larnaca and Brussels Charleroi, while frequency on its Dortmund route will increase from January. Wizz Air previously suspended multiple Suceava routes in October 2023.
Air Transat has expanded its network with the launch of two new nonstop routes. Service has commenced from Montreal Trudeau International Airport and Guadalajara, Mexico, with 2X-weekly flights that will run through June 27, 2026. Guadalajara becomes the airline’s sixth destination in Mexico. The airline has also launched year-round nonstop service between Quebec City and Fort-de-France, Martinique, giving the Canadian city its first direct link to the French Antilles. Both routes are operated with Airbus A321LR aircraft.
WestJet has launched new seasonal nonstop service between Vancouver and Liberia, Costa Rica. The route operates once a week through April 2026, with flights departing Vancouver on Fridays. The carrier is operating the route with a 174-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Air Arabia has opened daily nonstop service between Sharjah and Munich, marking the carrier’s first route to Germany from its United Arab Emirates (UAE) hub. The service will use Airbus A320neo aircraft. “Munich stands as a major cultural and economic centre, and we are pleased to provide our customers with a direct service that delivers a reliable and value-added travel experience,” Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali says. Munich becomes the latest addition to Air Arabia’s European network from the UAE, which already includes destinations such as Vienna, Athens, Milan Bergamo, Krakow and Warsaw Chopin.
Cebu Pacific will launch service between Manila and Riyadh on March 1, 2026, expanding its long-haul network and targeting demand from overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia. The LCC will operate the route four times per week. Riyadh becomes the airline’s fourth long-haul destination, alongside Dubai and Australia’s Sydney and Melbourne.
AJet has launched nonstop service between Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen and Prague. Flights will be operated four times per week on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. AJet says the new route supports both leisure and short-break demand, positioning Prague as a key addition to its growing European network.
Dec. 15
Air Premia has confirmed plans to launch 4X-weekly Boeing 787-9 flights between Seoul Incheon and Washington Dulles starting April 24, 2026, becoming the carrier’s fourth U.S. mainland route after Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Korean Air also operates the route, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. Air Premia says that South Korean government data shows 175,273 passengers traveled this route in 2024. “Washington, D.C. is a strategic route with consistently strong demand from government, international organizations and research institutions,” an Air Premia spokesperson adds.
Centrum Air is scheduled to commence 2X-weekly service between Tashkent and Manchester, England, from March 30, 2026. The flights are planned to operate with Airbus A321neo aircraft. The planned launch aligns with the carrier’s broader network development strategy, which includes building Tashkent Islam Karimov International Airport into a transit hub. The airline is also targeting other European destinations, including Barcelona.
Aer Lingus will launch a new nonstop route between Dublin and Pittsburgh beginning May 2026, operating four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights will be operated using Airbus A321LR aircraft. “The Pittsburgh region’s connections to Ireland run deep—both in today’s strong business market and ancestral ties—and this is a route that community leaders have been seeking,” Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis says.
Wizz Air has reopened its base at Tuzla International Airport, stationing one Airbus A321neo with plans to add a second aircraft by March 2026. The carrier is launching several routes from Tuzla across Europe, beginning with services to Cologne and Maastricht three times weekly, followed by Malmo and Hamburg. Future routes include Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris Beauvais and Larnaca. The reopening follows the carrier’s closure of the Tuzla base in September 2023, when most services were suspended and aircraft redeployed.
Ryanair has begun a new route from Liverpool to Turin, Italy. The service will operate once a week. The launch marks the return of flights between the two cities after more than 25 years. The flights are expected to attract ski and leisure traffic.
Porter Airlines is launching five nonstop winter routes from Ottawa International Airport to destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica, with all services beginning within the coming days. New routes include Puerto Vallarta, Nassau, Cancun, Liberia in Costa Rica and Grand Cayman. Porter will be the only airline offering nonstop service from Ottawa to Grand Cayman and Liberia. All flights are operated with Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. Additionally, Porter has also opened its first international services from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, operating services to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.
Southwest Airlines plans to open a new crew base for pilots and flight attendants at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in March 2026. The base will initially include about 335 pilots and 650 flight attendants, expanding to roughly 2,000 total employees by mid-2027. Most employees will be captains, first officers and flight attendants, supported by base leadership and staff, and the airline plans to add a recurring flight attendant training facility. Southwest is Austin’s largest carrier, with more than 130 peak-day departures and 53 nonstop destinations.
Flydubai has commenced service between Dubai and Vilnius, Lithuania. The route operates three times per week. “This new link with one of the most important hubs in the Middle East opens up even more opportunities for both travelers and businesses, while also providing convenient access to more than 200 destinations within the combined flydubai and Emirates network,” says Lithuanian Airports CEO Simonas Bartkus.
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