The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Feb. 6
Wizz Air will establish a new operating base at Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport, marking an expansion in Sicily. From Aug. 1, the carrier will base two Airbus A321neo aircraft in Palermo, supporting 10 routes to seven countries and nearly 1 million seats in 2026, a capacity increase of more than 200%. The expansion focuses on domestic connectivity, with Palermo-Turin operating daily from May 4, Palermo-Milan Malpensa increasing to 2X-daily service from Aug. 1, Palermo-Bologna rising to 11X-weekly flights and Palermo-Venice to 10X-weekly flights. International growth includes new services to Tel Aviv, operating three times per week from Aug. 1 and to Sharm el Sheikh, launching Aug. 2 with 4X-weekly frequencies.
Icelandair plans to enter the Polish market for the first time with the launch of seasonal flights between Reykjavik Keflavík and Gdansk, starting Sept. 18. The route will operate three to four times weekly using Boeing 737-8 aircraft. The airline says the route will support both point-to-point demand and onward connections to North American destinations, while also serving strong ties between Iceland and its Polish community. “This new service marks an exciting milestone for Icelandair as we enter the Polish market for the first time,” CEO Bogi Nils Bogason says. “Our hub location allows us to serve this market efficiently.”
TAP Air Portugal will launch a new service between Lisbon and Sao Luis from Oct. 26, further expanding its Brazil network. Flights will be operated twice a week by Airbus A321LR aircraft on a Lisbon–Sao Luis–Fortaleza–Lisbon rotation. Departures from Lisbon are scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays, with return flights via Fortaleza on Tuesdays and Fridays. “The launch of the Lisbon-Sao Luis route represents another strategic step in strengthening our network of destinations between Europe and Brazil,” TAP COO Mário Chaves says. Sao Luis will become TAP’s 15th destination in Brazil.
Saudi Arabia’s flynas has announced plans to open a new route to Rabat, further expanding its presence in Morocco as it marked three years of nonstop operations between Saudi Arabia and the North African country. The airline says a route will be launched “soon.” The LCC commenced Jeddah-Casablanca service in August 2023.
Avianca intends to return to Venezuela later this month. The Colombian carrier has announced the reactivation of its service between Bogota and Caracas, with daily flights resuming on Feb. 12 following a comprehensive review of operational and air safety conditions carried out with relevant authorities.
Feb. 5
Mexico’s Volaris will launch a new nonstop route between Guadalajara and Salt Lake City on June 1, marking the carrier’s first-ever service to the U.S. state of Utah. The route will operate three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The service expands the airline’s footprint to 24 airports across the U.S. and is aimed at serving VFR traffic, leisure demand and business travel between western Mexico and the U.S. Mountain West.
Wizz Air plans to open a new route between Podgorica, Montenegro, and Bratislava, Slovakia, on May 21. The service will operate three times per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and will become the 17th route served by the ULCC from Podgorica in the upcoming summer season. The Bratislava launch follows Wizz’s earlier announcement of a base in Podgorica opening in March, part of a broader strategy to scale up operations in Montenegro and improve point-to-point connectivity from the capital to key European markets.
KLM has resumed limited services to Tel Aviv following a temporary suspension linked to regional security concerns, as it continues a phased return to Middle East operations. The airline confirmed flights to Tel Aviv resumed on Feb. 3 and will operate again from Feb. 5 through Feb. 15 under an adjusted schedule. KLM had previously paused services to Tel Aviv while monitoring airspace risks, while gradually restoring operations to other destinations in the region.
Norwegian will commence a new route between Aalborg, Denmark, and London Gatwick in April. The service will operate twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays, with the first flight scheduled for April 2. “We are very pleased to meet the strong demand for a direct connection between Aalborg and London,” says Sara Neergaard, Norwegian’s country director for corporate affairs in Denmark. “The route ensures fast and seamless travel and strengthens our presence in Jutland.”
Tigerair Taiwan has announced a network adjustment that will see capacity redeployed from its Taichung-Macau service to launch a new route between Taichung and Okinawa. The Taichung-Okinawa Naha service is scheduled to begin March 30, operating 2X-weekly. The LCC says the move is aimed at better aligning capacity with leisure demand in central Taiwan.
Dan Air plans to expand its network in spring 2026 with the launch of eight new international routes from Bucharest and Bacau. From Bucharest, the airline will introduce 2X-weekly services to Larnaca from April 1 and to Valencia from April 3. From Bacau, the airline plans to add 2X-weekly flights to Madrid and Larnaca from April 2, Valencia from April 3, and Barcelona, Paris Beauvais and Venice Treviso from April 4. In addition, Dan Air intends to increase frequencies on its Bacau-Brussels and Bacau-London Luton routes from twice to three times per week.
Emirates will grow its Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) operations with the launch of a second daily flight from May 1. The additional service will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new flight, EK320, will depart Dubai at 10.30 p.m. and arrive in Tokyo the following afternoon, with the return service, EK321, leaving NRT late evening and arriving in Dubai early morning. Emirates says the schedule is designed to improve onward connections via Dubai to destinations across Europe, Africa and South America, while also supporting connectivity within Japan.
Feb. 4
Germany’s Condor plans to resume scheduled flights between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv from May, restoring a route closely tied to the airline’s origins as it marks its 70th anniversary. Condor’s first-ever flight operated on March 29, 1956, as a pilgrimage service from Frankfurt to Jerusalem. Flights will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft. “Tel Aviv combines tradition and modernity like few other cities—economically strong, culturally vibrant and of great significance in Condor’s history,” says Condor Vice President for Network Planning and Partnerships David Carlisle.
Contour Airlines has signed a new interline agreement with JetBlue Airways, allowing customers to book single itineraries. The partnership expands connectivity for Contour passengers by providing access to JetBlue’s network of more than 100 destinations across the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, while extending JetBlue’s reach into smaller and underserved regional markets served by Contour. “Contour now serves over 30 destinations throughout the United States and in the Caribbean, and this represents a meaningful step forward in providing better accessibility,” says Ben Munson, president of Contour.
Wizz Air will add a new Mediterranean link from Bulgaria with the launch of direct flights between Varna and Larnaca, Cyprus, starting June 17. The service will operate three times weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Airbus A321neo aircraft. With the addition of Larnaca, the ULCC will operate 18 routes from Varna to 10 countries in summer 2026. Additionally, Wizz will expand its network from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with the launch of two new leisure routes to Malta and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Flights to Malta will begin May 22, operating 2X-weekly on Mondays and Fridays, followed by the launch of Dubrovnik services on May 23, with flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
TAP Air Portugal is adding capacity to southern Brazil in the northern summer 2026 by introducing a fourth weekly frequency on its Lisbon-Porto Alegre and Lisbon-Florianopolis routes. The additional Porto Alegre flight will operate on Mondays from July 6, while the extra Florianopolis service will operate on Sundays from July 5. TAP says the expansion reflects sustained demand and its longer-term strategy in southern Brazil.
Flyone will launch a new program of scheduled international services from Tashkent International Airport starting April 6. The carrier will operate regular flights from the Uzbek capital to multiple Russian points, including Moscow Vnukovo, Yekaterinburg, Mineralnye Vody, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Samara, alongside international routes to Baku, Riga, Tel Aviv and Chisinau. All services will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft.
Aurigny is increasing capacity on its Guernsey-Paris Charles de Gaulle route in the 2026 summer season by adding a third weekly return service. The new Wednesday flight will begin April 1, complementing existing Monday and Friday services. The expansion is supported by the addition of another ATR 72 aircraft to Aurigny’s fleet, enabled by recently secured Southampton and Jersey routes.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has expanded its codeshare agreement with Eurowings, adding eight new European cities and, for the first time, marketing Eurowings-operated connecting flights under SunExpress flight numbers. The extended cooperation applies to travel from Feb. 3 and covers a total of 13 routes. Under the new arrangement, SunExpress will sell onward connections from Dusseldorf, Stuttgart and Berlin, providing passengers with additional itinerary options between Europe and Turkey.
Feb. 3
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and TAROM are strengthening ties through a new commercial codeshare agreement that expands connectivity between Scandinavia and Romania, with the first travel date set for Feb. 9. Under the deal, SAS will place its code on TAROM-operated services between Bucharest and key European hubs including Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Prague, with onward connections on SAS flights to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. TAROM will reciprocate by adding its code to SAS services between those hubs and Scandinavia. “By combining our networks and offering smooth transfers via key European hubs, we are giving our customers more choice, flexibility, and convenience across their journeys,” says Paul Verhagen, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer at SAS.
Eurowings will relaunch flights between Berlin and Sarajevo as part of its expanded summer 2026 schedule, restoring a route last operated before the pandemic. The airline previously served the market in 2013-14 and again in 2019 but suspended a planned restart in 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis. Operations will run from May 9 through Oct. 24 with one flight per week, rising to 2X-weekly in July and August.
Wizz Air will open two new routes from Catania, Italy, in May, adding nonstop services to Tirana, Albania, and Podgorica, Montenegro. Flights from Catania to Tirana will begin May 4, operating four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Services to Podgorica will start May 5 with three weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Both routes will be operated with Airbus A321neo aircraft.
UK-based Jet2.com has expanded its summer 2026 Greece programme, adding nearly 30,000 extra seats. The latest capacity increases include two additional weekly frequencies on Manchester-Heraklion from July 1 to Sept. 25, an extra weekly service on Leeds Bradford-Kos from July 4 to Sept. 26, and an added weekly frequency on London Stansted-Chania from July 19 to Sept. 27. The airline has also confirmed additional services from Birmingham to Crete and Santorini, as previously reported.
EasyJet has launched a new route linking Glasgow Airport, Scotland, with Rome Fiumicino. Flights will be offered up to four times per week. The LCC will compete with Jet2.com and Wizz Air.
Discover Airlines will grow its Nordic network in 2026, adding new summer and winter routes from Frankfurt and Munich. The airline will launch 2X-weekly flights from Frankfurt to Bodø from May 23 and 2X-weekly services from Munich to Evenes from May 13. These additions complement Discover’s existing Nordic summer network, which includes Munich-Reykjavik and Munich-Bodø, as well as year-round services from Frankfurt to Evenes and Kittilä. For winter 2026/27, Discover will introduce a new weekly Munich–Ivalo service from Dec. 23 through mid-April, marking its first operation to Finnish Lapland.
Canada’s Porter Airlines has expanded its transborder network with new nonstop services from Vancouver and Ottawa. The airline has begun daily seasonal flights between Vancouver International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor, operating until April 19, marking Porter’s first transborder service from Western Canada. Flights are operated with Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Additionally, service has commenced from Ottawa to Miami, while a 3X-weekly route from the Canadian capital to Phoenix will begin on Feb. 7.
Feb. 2
Avianca plans to open a new seasonal route between Guatemala City and San Francisco, with flights operating from June 1 to Aug. 31. Service on the route will be 4X-weekly using Airbus A320 aircraft. “The launch of this route responds to customer demand for more connectivity options between key destinations and is part of Avianca’s strategy to continue strengthening its international network,” Avianca’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Development Alejandro Benítez says.
Air India has resumed nonstop flights to mainland China, reinstating services between New Delhi and Shanghai. Flights will be offered four times per week using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The move follows the gradual reopening of air links between India and China after pandemic-related shutdowns and prolonged political tensions. The carrier also intends to resume Mumbai-Shanghai service later this year.
Air Astana will launch seasonal services to Larnaca, Cyprus, from both Astana and Almaty in summer 2026, expanding its leisure network into the eastern Mediterranean. Flights from Astana to Larnaca will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays from June 2 to Sept. 5, while Almaty-Larnaca services will run on Thursdays and Sundays from June 4 to Sept. 6. Both routes will be operated with Airbus A321LR aircraft.
UK leisure carrier Jet2 has expanded its summer 2026 schedule to Greece from Birmingham Airport, adding extra capacity to Crete and Santorini. Additional weekly Wednesday flights to Chania will operate from July 1 to Sept. 23, while extra Thursday services to Santorini will run from July 2 to Sept. 24. As a result of this expansion, Jet2 has more than 2.5 million seats on sale for summer 2026 from Birmingham and 62 routes, including a new route to Samos.
KLM has confirmed it will operate flights to Dubai from Feb. 1- 6 with an adjusted schedule, after previously suspending the route as a precaution. This follows the airline’s earlier decision to resume services to Riyadh and Dammam, while continuing to avoid certain airspace in the region. KLM will also offer limited operations to Tel Aviv on Feb. 2-3, again with an adjusted schedule. “At all times, KLM prioritizes the safety of passengers and crew in the execution of its operations,” the carrier says. “Selecting safe and optimal routes is a standard part of our daily practice.”
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