The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Feb. 13
SunExpress is expanding its summer 2026 program from Cologne Bonn Airport, adding three new Turkish destinations and increasing frequencies on several routes. From March 28, the carrier will boost service to Antalya up to 7X-daily flights. New routes include Cukurova (weekly from March 29, rising to 2X-weekly from May 13), Elazig (weekly from April 2) and Trabzon (weekly from March 30, increasing to 2X-weekly from May 22). Frequencies to Samsun will double to 2X-weekly from June 24, while Kayseri will increase from two to 3X-weekly flights from June 25. SunExpress will operate up to 78 weekly flights to nine destinations in Turkey from Cologne/Bonn this summer.
Southwest Airlines will add two new domestic routes beginning Oct. 1. From Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Southwest will launch 5X-weekly nonstop flights to Nashville International Airport, operating Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. With the addition, Southwest will serve five nonstop destinations from Manchester. Separately, Southwest will begin 6X-weekly service between Memphis International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, operating Sunday through Friday. The carrier will offer 11 destinations from Memphis following the launch.
Transavia France will expand its offering from Nice Cote d'Azur Airport for summer 2026, launching a domestic service to Paris Orly Airport from March 29. The carrier will operate up to 8X-daily Nice-Orly flights. Sister carrier Air France will continue to offer up to 12X-daily flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Nice.
Ryanair has unveiled its summer 2026 schedules for Turin Airport, Italy, and Poznan Lawica Airport, Poland, adding aircraft, routes and capacity in both markets. In Turin, the carrier will base a third aircraft and operate more than 380 weekly flights across 32 routes, including new services to Sofia, Bulgaria, and Tirana, Albania. Traffic is projected at 3.3 million passengers annually, up 21%. In Poznan, Ryanair will base five aircraft for summer and operate 39 routes, including new links to Podgorica, Montenegro; Shannon, Ireland; and Tirana.
Zipair plans to increase frequencies on two U.S. routes during the peak summer season, boosting capacity from Tokyo Narita. The Japan Airlines Group subsidiary plans to raise Tokyo Narita-Los Angeles service from daily to 10X-weekly between May 7 and July 18. It will also increase Tokyo Narita-Honolulu flights from 3X-weekly to daily from July 20 to Aug. 16. The additional services target peak transpacific leisure demand. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways also operate both city pairs, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
Feb. 12
Icelandair plans to launch a new route between Reykjavik Keflavik (KEF) and Tromso from October 2026, marking its first service to northern Norway. The 2X-weekly service will operate on Mondays and Fridays, offering onward connections through KEF to multiple North American destinations. The new route to Tromso will strengthen Iceland’s position as a natural gateway between Northern Europe and North America,” Icelandair CEO Bogi Nils Bogason says. Separately, the carrier will make Bergen a year-round destination, extending winter operations to western Norway.
Ryanair will retain a ninth based aircraft in Malta for the summer 2026 season and add four new routes. The ULCC plans to open new services to Gothenburg, Sweden; Newcastle, England; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Tirana, Albania, alongside increased frequencies on more than 40 existing routes.
UK regional carrier Loganair has expanded connectivity from Jersey through a new codeshare agreement with KLM. Under the partnership, passengers traveling from Jersey to Bristol or Southampton can book onward travel to Amsterdam on a single ticket. The agreement marks the first time Jersey has had a daily year-round link to Amsterdam, complementing KLM Cityhopper’s direct summer service, which operates weekly and increases to daily from July 4 to Aug. 30. Ronnie Matheson, CCO at Loganair, says the deal “is an important step forward in building on our commitment to Jersey,” adding it strengthens options for “business, leisure and onward global travel.”
Emirates has deployed Airbus A350 on daily services between Dubai and Montreal, replacing the Boeing 777 aircraft. Montreal becomes the first destination in the airline’s 19-point Americas network to receive the A350, which features its premium economy product. In Canada, the Gulf carrier also serves Toronto with daily A380 flights.
Feb. 11
Eurowings will return to Glasgow Airport (GLA) this summer with a new seasonal route to Hanover, marking the Lufthansa Group carrier’s first service from the Scottish gateway since 2019. The 3X-weekly service will launch on June 29 and operate through Aug. 23, with flights on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. “As the only route between Scotland and the historic German city of Hanover, I'm confident the route will appeal to German holiday-makers keen to lace up their walking boots and explore the rugged beauty of Scotland,” says Chris Tibbett, aviation director at GLA owner and operator AGS Airports.
Turkish Airlines’ board has approved the launch of scheduled services from Istanbul to Urumqi, China, subject to market conditions and operational feasibility. Launch timing and flight frequencies will be determined based on commercial opportunities and regulatory approvals.
Wizz Air plans to expand its operations at Stockholm Arlanda Airport with a new route to Bucharest Baneasa, Romania, starting March 30. The service will operate three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Airbus A321 aircraft. Elizabeth Axtelius, director of aviation business at Swedavia, says the expansion reflects sustained demand for international travel and strengthens connectivity between Sweden and Eastern Europe. “Wizz Air has a longstanding presence at Swedavia’s airports and plays an important role in connecting Sweden to well-established markets in eastern Europe,” she adds.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana will expand its China network with the launch of 2X-weekly flights between Astana and Guangzhou starting June 2. The new service complements the carrier’s existing 4X-weekly Almaty-Guangzhou route, which began in March 2025. Air Astana also operates scheduled flights to Beijing and Urumqi and plans to launch an Almaty-Shanghai service in March 2026. The new Guangzhou route will be operated by Airbus A321LR aircraft, with a flight time of approximately 6 hr. and 45 min.
Feb. 10
Royal Air Maroc is expanding its point-to-point network in northern Morocco with six new European routes from Tangier and Nador. Tangier will gain direct services to Malaga (2X-weekly from July 6), Barcelona (2X-weekly from July 3) and Madrid (2X-weekly from Sept. 7). Nador will add routes to Barcelona (2X-weekly from Sept. 10), Frankfurt (3X-weekly from July 2) and Dusseldorf (3X-weekly from July 11). “The launch of these new direct routes in northern Morocco demonstrates Royal Air Maroc’s commitment to strengthening tourism and connectivity with Europe,” CEO Hamid Addou says.
Air France has detailed further capacity increases on its Paris-New York network for summer 2026. From June 1, the carrier will double its Paris Charles de Gaulle-Newark Liberty service from daily to 2X-daily. Across the New York market, Air France will operate up to 8X-daily flights in summer 2026: six frequencies per day to New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and two to Newark. The JFK schedule will be complemented by three additional daily flights operated by joint venture partner Delta Air Lines.
WestJet will expand its domestic network for summer 2026 with four new nonstop routes and added capacity aimed at strengthening regional and east-west connectivity across Canada. The carrier will launch 2X-weekly Boeing 737 service from Calgary to Sault Ste., Marie, starting June 12 and to North Bay, Ontario, from June 19. Daily DHC Dash 8-400 flights between Calgary and Campbell River, British Columbia, will begin May 15, while a new 2X-weekly Dash 8-400 service linking Edmonton and Terrace, British Columbia, will start May 19.
Indonesia AirAsia plans to boost domestic connectivity with a 2X-daily Kendari-Makassar service and 3X-daily Surabaya-Makassar service. Flights will start on March 7. The move targets growing demand for air travel from eastern Indonesia.
Wizz Air has announced a new service from Katowice, Poland, to Dubrovnik, Croatia. The route will operate twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. It will be supported by the ULCC’s expanded Katowice base in summer 2026, where the airline plans to operate eight aircraft, including six Airbus A321neos and two A320ceos.
Canada’s Porter Airlines has withdrawn plans to launch nonstop service between Fort McMurray International Airport and Ottawa, citing a revision to its network strategy for 2026. “This news is disappointing for our community and our team," says Denean Robinson, president and CEO of the Fort McMurray Airport Authority. "While this decision reflects Porter's current network priorities, we respect their position and remain encouraged by their continued interest in our region. We look forward to staying engaged and hope to welcome Porter to Fort McMurray when the timing aligns.”
Emirates has launched a daily Airbus A350-900 service to London Gatwick Airport (LGW). The new flight adds to LGW’s 3X-daily A380 services. With the launch, Emirates now operates a record 146 weekly flights to the UK, including 87 to London.
Feb. 9
Canada’s Air Transat has launched new nonstop services to Routes Americas 2026 host Rio de Janeiro Galeao International Airport, marking its first regular operations to Brazil. The Toronto Pearson-Rio de Janeiro route operates twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, through June 10, while the Montreal-Rio service runs once a week on Thursdays through June 4. Both routes are operated with Airbus A330 aircraft. Air Transat passengers can also connect onward within Brazil via an interline partnership with GOL Airlines.
Air Sierra Leone has confirmed the schedule for its new service to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), with flights from Banjul, Gambia, set to begin Feb. 15. The route will initially operate once a week, with plans to increase to 3X-weekly frequencies subject to market demand. The Banjul launch builds on the airline’s existing UK presence. Air Sierra Leone began serving LGW in June 2025 with flights from Freetown, Sierra Leone, operated by Ascend Airways.
Zipair plans to increase frequency on its Tokyo Narita-Vancouver service, adding a fifth weekly flight from April 28 through Oct. 2. The move builds on Zipair’s entry into the Vancouver market in March 2024, when it launched service as its fourth transpacific destination using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Parent company Japan Airlines and Air Canada also operate the route, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
United Airlines will increase seat capacity on its new nonstop New York Newark-Glasgow service by more than 22% for summer 2026, after extending the seasonal route through Oct. 24. The service is set to launch May 9 and marks United’s return to Glasgow for the first time since 2019. The airline will be the only U.S. carrier offering scheduled nonstop flights between the U.S. and Glasgow.
Greater Bay Airlines has commenced scheduled service between Hong Kong and Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, further expanding its mainland China network. The route will be served 4X-weekly, operating on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is positioned as a growing regional center and leisure destination.
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