Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C July 20, 2026)

Aaron Karp July 24, 2026

china eastern a350-900 — Credit: Rob Finlayson

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.

July 24

China Eastern Airlines launched flights between Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Dublin Airport (DUB). The service, exclusive to the airline, will be flown 3X-weekly with an Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Flight duration is around 11 hr. China Eastern will operate 1,728 two-way weekly seats on the PVG-DUB route, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.

Finnair dropped plans to operate flights between Helsinki Airport (HEL) and Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) for the 2026-27 winter season. The carrier had served the route year-round until March of this year, but planned to restart HEL-DOH flights on a seasonal basis from Oct. 3 to March 27, 2027. Finnair said it will no longer go forward with those plans, citing “commercial reasons.” Finnair’s Oneworld partner Qatar Airways started serving the HEL-DOH route this month and plans to continue into the winter.

Saudia and China’s Xiamen Airlines singed a codeshare agreement. Saudia’s code will be placed on Xiamen’s domestic flights from Beijing and Guangzhou to Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen. Saudia said the codesharing will “provide wider access within the Chinese market through a single booking and a more integrated travel experience.” Xiamen will place its code on Saudia’s flights from Jeddah and Riyadh to Beijing and Guangzhou.

KLM extended its suspension of flights from Amsterdam to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam through Sept. 6.

Alaska Airlines will launch winter seasonal service next year between Portland, Oregon, and Yampa Valley Regional Airport, which serves Steamboat Springs, a popular ski destination in Colorado. The route will be operated 2X-weekly from Feb. 11, 2027, to March 28, 2027. In addition, Alaska will start its seasonal service between Santa Rosa and Palm Springs on Sept. 10, more than six weeks earlier than last year, when the carrier first flew between the California cities. Alaska will operate the route 5X-weekly through April 25, 2027 using an Embraer 175 aircraft. In 2025, the airline started the intra-California seasonal service in late October.

Eurowings will open flights from Berlin to both Bilbao, Spain, and Porto, Portugal, on its the 2026-27 winter season schedule. Both routes will be flown 2X-weekly.

Qatar Airways Cargo commenced Boeing 777 freighter service between Doha and Katowice, Poland. The route will be operated 2X-weekly and “at this stage” is a seasonal service scheduled to end on Oct. 24, according to the carrier. One of the two weekly flights will be operated as a part of a Doha-Budepest-Katowice-Doha routing, while the other will be nonstop.

July 23

Flydubai kicked off service between Dubai and Aleppo, Syria. The route will be operated daily with a Boeing 737 aircraft. Emirates' code will be placed on the flights.

Eurowings launched flights between Belgrade, Serbia, and Cologne, Germany. The route will be operated 2X-weekly with a combination of Airbus A319 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways said it has added 16 combined additional weekly flight frequencies from Kuwait International Airport across four destinations in Egypt: Alexandria, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Sohag. The airline now operates 126 weekly flights to Egypt, also serving Assiut, Cairo, Luxor and New Sphinx City.

Hong Kong Air Cargo will open 1X-weekly Airbus A330-200 freighter service between Hong Kong International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, Mumbai’s new $2 billion airport opened last year. The route will start on Aug. 10. “By establishing an early footprint at western India's brand-new aviation hub, the route strengthens the airline's regional network and opens lucrative trade lanes between East and South Asia,” the carrier said.

Star Alliance member Air India will move operations at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from Terminal 4 to Terminal 6 in 2028. The new $4.2 billion Terminal 6 will partially open this year with full completion planned for 2028. Eight other Star Alliance airlines will be operating out of JFK’s Terminal 6 by 2028, facilitating transfers for Air India passengers.

July 22

Canada’s WestJet will add five new sun routes on its 2026-27 winter season schedule, all to be operated once weekly. Flights between Winnipeg and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, will kick off on Nov. 28, while service between Winnipeg and Belize City, Belize, will commence on Dec. 14. Service between Regina and San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, will also launch on Dec. 14. Flights between Calgary and Merida, Mexico, will open on Dec. 17. Service between Ottawa and Liberia, Costa Rica, will start on Dec. 20. "These additions support the growing demand for options in Mexico and the Latin Caribbean,” WestJet CCO John Weatherill said. The airline noted it will serve 50 sun destinations from 15 Canadian cities during the winter season.

Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension of flights from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to the Middle East as the U.S. and Iran continue to exchange fire in the region on a daily basis. Cathay had planned to resume daily service between HKG and Dubai International Airport (DXB) on Sept. 1, but has now delayed the planned resumption date to Oct. 25. The carrier also was scheduled to restart 4X-weekly service between DXB and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) on Sept. 1, but the route resumption has been pushed back to Oct. 26. Additionally, Cathay’s freighter service between HKG and RUH, which had been scheduled to resume on Aug. 1, has been suspended indefinitely.

Air France suspended flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to both Dubai and Riyadh, citing the “security situation” in the Middle East. The airline said it hopes to reinstate service to the Saudi capital on July 24 and to Dubai on July 27, but the restarts will be subject to a consideration of “rapidly evolving” airspace safety conditions. Air France said it has also extended the suspension of service between CDG and Beirut to Aug. 2.

Air China launched service between Beijing and Bishtek, Kyrgyzstan. Flights, with a duration of over 5 hr., will be operated 3X-weekly.

Air Zimbabwe opened service between Harare and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). The route will be flown 3X-weekly with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft via a wet-lease agreement with Spain’s Plus Ultra Lineas Aereas. The aircraft will carry 302 passengers between the Zimbabwe capital and LGW.

Air Canada switched from a Boeing 787-8 to an Airbus A321XLR on service between Montreal and Berlin. Flights on the route, with a flight time of more than 8 hr., are operated 3X-weekly. Air Canada’s A321XLRs carry 182 passengers, including 14 in business class.

July 21

China Eastern Airlines opened service between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Tbilisi, Georgia. Flights, with a duration of around 10 hr., will be operated 3X-weekly with an Airbus A330 aircraft.

Vietjet will launch 3X-weekly service between Ho Chi Minh City and Colombo, Sri Lanka, from Aug. 18. The airline will compete against Vietnam Airlines. Vietjet will operate 1,056 two-way weekly seats on the route versus Vietnam Airlines’ offering of 1,134 two-way weekly seats, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.

Oman’s SalamAir opened flights between Muscat and Kigali, Rwanda. The new service will be operated 2X-weekly with an Airbus A320neo aircraft. “Rwanda is a dynamic destination with significant opportunities,” SalamAir CEO Adrian Hamilton-Manns said.

Chengdu Airlines kicked off service between Harbin in northeast China and Khabarovsk, Russia. The route will be flown 2X-weekly with a Comac C909 aircraft.

Jet2.com will add two new French destinations to its network for the 2027 summer season with flights from the UK. The carrier will operate to La Rochelle from both Birmingham (BHX) and Manchester (MAN) airports. Jet2.com will also fly between MAN and Perpignan. Flights to La Rochelle from both BHX and MAN will be operated 1X-weekly from May 22, 2027, to Sept. 25. Service between MAN and Perpignan will be flown 2X-weekly from May 2 to Oct. 31.

July 20

Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air opened service between King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh and Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD). “Nearly 250 Spanish companies currently operate within Saudi Arabia, and this route connects Europe's gateway directly with Riyadh's rapidly growing hub,” the airline said. The RUH-MAD route, exclusive to Riyadh Air, will be flown 4X-weekly. The carrier will operate 2,312 two-way weekly seats on the route, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.

Southwest Airlines will launch flights between Amarillo, Texas, and Houston Hobby Airport from March 11, 2027. The service will be operated 4X-weekly.

Air Niugini started service between Port Moresby International Airport (POM) in Papua New Guinea and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). Flights will be operated 2X-weekly with Boeing 737-800 and 767-300ER aircraft. The POM-NRT route, exclusive to Air Niugini, was previously operated by the airline, but has not been served for six years.