The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
June 2
El Al Israel Airlines will expand its North American network with the launch of nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and San Francisco from Oct. 25 using Boeing 787-9s, restoring service to the Bay Area for the first time since 2020. The route will operate three times per week on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and becomes the carrier’s sixth U.S. destination, alongside New York John F. Kennedy, Newark, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles. The airline says the route is aimed at serving growing demand from both the business sector and the large Israeli community in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ethiopian Airlines plans to launch flights between Addis Ababa and Port Louis, Mauritius, from July 12. The new route will operate three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Boeing 737-8 aircraft. “By expanding regional connectivity, this service will elevate tourism, catalyze trade and foster stronger people-to-people interactions, while creating an essential gateway that links regional markets to global networks,” the airline says in a statement.
United Airlines will commence nonstop service between Newark and St. Croix on Oct. 31, becoming the sole carrier offering direct flights between the island and the New York metropolitan area. The route will operate weekly on Saturdays using Boeing 737-700 aircraft. United says the service will complement its existing Newark-St. Thomas operation. With the addition of St. Croix, the carrier will serve 23 Caribbean destinations from Newark.
VietJet is adding a new route to the Philippines with the launch of nonstop flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Cebu. The new service will begin on Dec. 11 and operate 5X weekly. “Following the successful launch of the Ho Chi Minh City-Manila route in late 2025, the new Ho Chi Minh City-Cebu service will provide travelers with additional convenient travel options between the two countries while supporting economic development across Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region,” the LCC says in a statement.
Air Serbia has boosted its Spanish network with the launch of nonstop flights between Belgrade and Alicante, adding a sixth destination in the country. The new route operates twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays using Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. Alicante, located on Spain’s Costa Blanca, joins Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia in Air Serbia’s Spanish network.
ITA Airways has expanded its short-haul network with the launch of new seasonal services from Rome Fiumicino to Malaga and Valencia in Spain and Marseille, France. The routes commenced on June 1 and will operate daily through Sept. 30. The airline says the new services form part of a broader expansion of its summer 2026 network, which also includes seasonal routes to Mykonos, Alicante and Trapani, along with increased frequencies to several Mediterranean destinations including Brindisi, Lampedusa, Pantelleria, Palma de Mallorca, Nice and Tunis.
June 1
Air Transat is expanding its Istanbul network with the launch of nonstop flights between Montreal and Istanbul. The new route will begin on Oct. 29 and operate year-round twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays using Airbus A330 aircraft. The addition gives Air Transat up to 5X-weekly flights to Istanbul across its network, including the 3X-weekly service from Toronto. Sebastian Ponce, chief revenue officer of Air Transat, says the service strengthens the airline's Montreal operation while leveraging its partnership with Turkish Airlines to provide onward connectivity beyond Istanbul to destinations across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caucasus.
VietJet is increasing its Singapore network with the launch of a new route from Nha Trang, creating the fifth nonstop link between Singapore and Vietnam operated by the carrier. The new service will begin on Dec. 11 and operate four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. VietJet also serves Singapore from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Phu Quoc.
KM Malta Airlines has launched a new route between Malta and Palermo, Italy, marking the carrier’s second new destination to commence operations within a week following the introduction of Malaga service. The route operates 3X-weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Ryanair is adding 12 new routes from Warsaw during the winter 2026-27 season. The carrier said growth will be driven primarily by expansion at Warsaw Modlin Airport, where it will base two additional Boeing 737 aircraft from October, increasing its based fleet to eight aircraft. Ryanair plans to open five new routes to Bratislava, Bristol, Manchester, Shannon and Zagreb. At Warsaw Chopin Airport, the ULCC will expand its network to 16 routes and increase annual passenger numbers by more than 50% to about 800,000. New services will be launched to Bari, Bologna, Catania, Liverpool, Naples, Turin and Venice.
LOT Polish Airlines has expanded its summer network with the launch of new seasonal services from Warsaw Chopin Airport to Heraklion, Greece, and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Both routes will operate three times per week throughout the summer season. The Warsaw-Palma de Mallorca service operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while flights between Warsaw and Heraklion operate on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.
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