The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Jan. 9
Air Canada and PAL Airlines plan to expand the commercial agreement under which PAL operates regional flights for Air Canada Express, designed to protect and grow service in Eastern Canada. The carriers have signed a letter of intent to extend their existing agreement by four years to 2032, subject to final negotiations. The expanded deal would increase the number of PAL-operated aircraft under the agreement by five, bringing the total to 11 DHC Dash 8-400 turboprops. “Air Canada is committed to regional connectivity,” Air Canada’s Executive Vice President and CCO Mark Galardo says. He adds the agreement will help to protect services from Montreal to destinations in Quebec and New Brunswick.
Gulf Air will reinstate seasonal summer services to Geneva and Nice in 2026, operated via Milan Malpensa, as part of its European network. Flights to Nice will operate 2X-weekly from May 24 through Sept. 27, while Geneva services will also run 2X-weekly from June 5 to Sept. 11. Both routes will be operated with Airbus A321neo aircraft. “Europe continues to be a preferred summer travel destination for passengers from Bahrain and the wider region,” Gulf Air CEO Martin Gauss says. “With the return of Geneva and Nice, Gulf Air can offer customers convenient schedules, reliable service and access to two popular destinations.”
Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Emerald Airlines, will expand its Belfast City-Southampton service for summer 2026, adding more than 17,000 seats to meet rising cruise-related demand. The carrier will introduce eight additional weekly flights on the route from April 2026. The schedule includes a new Saturday mid-morning departure from Belfast City Airport at 10:55 a.m. and an early afternoon departure from Southampton Airport at 1:05 p.m., timed to align with cruise embarkation and disembarkation. “We are delighted to offer even more choice, flexibility and conveniently timed flights,” says Ian Lough, head of commercial at Emerald Airlines.
Wizz Air will add two new routes from Tirana International Airport in summer 2026, expanding its network with services to Kalamata, Greece, and Santander, Spain. The ULCC will launch 2X-weekly flights between Albanian capital Tirana and Kalamata on Tuesdays and Saturdays from March 31. A second 2X-weekly route to Santander will begin March 29, operating on Thursdays and Sundays.
Jan. 8
Indonesia AirAsia will launch a new international route linking Bali and Da Nang, Vietnam, from March 2. The nonstop service will become the LCC’s seventh international route from Bali, improving connectivity between the two Southeast Asia leisure markets. The airline says the route will also support fly-through connections from Jakarta and Labuan Bajo to Da Nang via Bali, as well as onward links from Bali to destinations in Australia. Service will be 4X-weekly.
LATAM Airlines Brasil will launch nonstop flights between Sao Paulo Guarulhos and Punta Cana from July 2. The airline will offer 5X-weekly flights on the route. “The new direct route between São Paulo/Guarulhos and Punta Cana reinforces our commitment to expanding international connectivity from Brazil,” says Aline Mafra, LATAM Brasil’s sales and marketing director. “By eliminating the need for connections, we offer greater convenience to customers and strengthen Guarulhos as one of LATAM’s main hubs in the region.”
British Airways (BA) and Southwest Airlines will expand service at Pittsburgh International Airport later this year. BA plans to increase its London Heathrow service to daily flights from March 30 for the peak summer season, strengthening transatlantic capacity from Pittsburgh. The move will support the airport’s busiest Europe schedule since 2018. Southwest will expand its Pittsburgh operation beginning June 6, adding Saturday-only nonstop service to Destin-Fort Walton Beach, its 21st destination from the airport. The carrier will also increase Orlando service from four to six daily flights and expand San Diego from Saturday-only service to 4X-weekly flights when it resumes in June.
South Korea’s Jin Air and Air Busan have launched a domestic codeshare as the first step toward the integration of Hanjin Group’s LCCs. The codeshare applies to three domestic routes: Seoul Gimpo-Busan, Jeju-Busan and Jeju-Ulsan. Jin Air says the cooperation is expected to “strengthen route competitiveness while improving customer convenience and network efficiency,” adding that the partnership will support preparations for broader integration across other business areas.
Jan. 7
Ethiopian Airlines plans to launch a new passenger service to Lyon from July 2. The 3X-weekly service will operate via Geneva on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. With the addition of Lyon, Ethiopian will serve three destinations in France, alongside Paris and Marseille. The new route will provide onward connections via Addis Ababa to more than 65 destinations across Africa and Ethiopian’s wider global network.
LATAM Airlines Brasil will expand international capacity from Sao Paulo Guarulhos to the U.S. and Europe from April 2026, increasing frequencies to Miami, Rome and Barcelona and adding more flights than initially planned on its new Amsterdam route. Weekly service to Miami will rise from 14 to 15 flights, increasing to 16 in July. Rome will increase from six to seven flights per week, while Barcelona will grow from five to six. Service to Amsterdam, a new destination, will begin March 29 with 4X-weekly flights and increase to 5X-weekly from April 23.
Aer Lingus has launched a new transatlantic winter sun route between Dublin and Cancun, expanding its long-haul leisure network. The airline is operating the service three times per week through April 29 using Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Plus Ultra Airlines has doubled capacity on its Madrid-Cartagena route, increasing frequencies from three to six flights per week. The expanded schedule strengthens the carrier’s presence in the Colombia market and adds capacity between Spain and the Caribbean coast. In addition to Cartagena, Plus Ultra continues to operate 3X-weekly flights between Madrid and Bogota.
FlyOne Airlines will launch a new daily service between London Luton and Bucharest for the summer 2026 season, expanding its presence in the UK-Romania market. Flights are scheduled to begin May 15. “This agreement with London Luton Airport marks the next important step in our growth strategy for the Romanian market,” FlyOne Airlines CEO Vladimir Cebotari says.
Jan. 6
JetBlue plans to expand its Fort Lauderdale network with new year-round nonstop service to Orlando and Dallas and additional capacity to New York LaGuardia. The airline will launch 2X-daily flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Orlando International Airport on May 21. Daily nonstop service to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport will begin March 12 and continue year-round, following an earlier plan to operate the route only during the spring break period. JetBlue will also add two daily flights on its Fort Lauderdale-LaGuardia route. “These additions reflect the momentum we’ve built in Florida and our continued investment in Fort Lauderdale as a key gateway in our network,” says Dave Jehn, JetBlue’s vice president of network planning and airline partnerships.
Saudi Arabia’s flyadeal has launched five new routes from Madinah, marking the start of operations at its newest base. The LCC has added international service to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen and domestic flights to Abha, Al Hofuf, Jazan and Tabuk, increasing the number of destinations served from Madinah to eight. The expansion raises weekly departures from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport by about 40% to 88 flights, with two Airbus A320 aircraft now permanently based there.
Loganair has begun operations at its new Southampton Airport base. The base will be scaled up through the first quarter, reaching full capacity by March with two aircraft permanently stationed at the English airport. The move supports existing and recently launched routes, including services to Manchester and Edinburgh.
Kuwait Airways will open scheduled nonstop flights to Sphinx International Airport in Egypt from Jan. 15, expanding its Cairo-area presence. The carrier will operate 3X-weekly services on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Kuwait Airways has also announced plans to launch services to Madrid, Malaga and Colombo from June 2026 as it continues to broaden its international network.
Flynas will launch a new route between Jeddah and Entebbe from March 24, expanding its East Africa network and increasing capacity between Saudi Arabia and Uganda. The Saudi LCC will operate three flights per week on the new Jeddah-Entebbe service, supplementing its existing 5X-weekly flights between Riyadh and Entebbe. The addition brings total frequencies between the two countries to eight flights per week. The move follows flynas’ recent expansion in Africa, including the launch of nonstop Riyadh-Nairobi flights last year, and services to Addis Ababa, Asmara and Djibouti.
Qatar Airways has commenced nonstop service between Doha and Hail in Saudi Arabia, adding its 13th destination in the kingdom. The carrier will operate 3X-weekly flights between Hamad International Airport and Hail International Airport on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. With the addition of Hail, Qatar Airways will operate more than 150 weekly flights to 13 Saudi destinations.
Jan. 5
SalamAir will launch a new nonstop route between Muscat and Medan from July 3, marking the Omani LCC’s first service to Indonesia. The airline will operate the route twice a week. It says the launch supports the country’s broader connectivity goals under Oman Vision 2040 and positions Muscat as a transfer hub linking Asia and the Gulf. “Launching Medan reflects our strategic approach to network expansion, aimed at connecting high-growth yet under-served markets with strong demand potential,” SalamAir’s CCO Steven Allen says. Additionally, the catrrier plans to begin a 2X-weekly route to Damascus, Syria, on May 2.
Wizz Air has acquired takeoff and landing slots at London Luton Airport from TUI Airways, enabling the carrier to base an additional Airbus A321neo at the airport and expand its network from summer 2026. The deal will bring Wizz Air’s London Luton-based fleet to 15 aircraft. Six new routes will launch between June 12 and June 13, connecting Luton with Alicante, Faro, Lyon, Turin, Corfu and Yerevan. Alicante will be served five times per week and Faro 4X-weekly, while Lyon and Turin will each operate 3X-weekly flights. Corfu and Yerevan will be served 2X-weekly.
Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines will open a new scheduled service between Taichung and Tokyo on March 30. The route will operate four times weekly using Airbus A321 aircraft, linking central Taiwan directly with Japan’s capital region. “This new route significantly reduces travel time and transportation costs for passengers in central Taiwan, making Taichung departures a more intuitive and comfortable choice,” Starlux CEO Glenn Chai says.
JetBlue plans to launch daily nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport from March 30. The new route will expand the airline’s presence in Cleveland, where it already operates nonstop flights to Boston. Flights will be operated daily using Airbus A220 aircraft.
Air India has entered into a codeshare agreement with Latvia’s airBaltic. The agreement builds on an interline partnership launched in June 2025 and allows Air India to place its AI code on airBaltic-operated flights between Riga and eight European cities served by Air India: Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Milan Malpensa, Vienna, Zurich and London Gatwick.
Spain’s LEVEL will commence a new nonstop route between Lima and Barcelona from June 3. The International Airlines Group-owned long-haul LCC will operate the service three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. “We celebrate this new connection between Barcelona and Lima, which is much more than an air route: It is a bridge that opens opportunities for economic and tourism development,” says Lucía Adrover, LEVEL’s chief commercial and network officer. She adds that the airline is confident the new service will “drive mutual growth” between the two markets.
AJet will launch a new nonstop route between Istanbul and Tirana from March 2. The Turkish carrier will operate five weekly roundtrip flights between Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport and Tirana, Albania’s capital, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
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