The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
March 30
Cathay Pacific has launched new nonstop passenger service between Hong Kong and Seattle, expanding its North American network to nine destinations. The route operates five times per week using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The move means the airline will operate close to 120 return flights per week to nine North American destinations this summer, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.
Iberia has opened a new nonstop route between Madrid and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), expanding its New York market presence. The flight operates daily using Airbus A321XLR aircraft configured with 182 seats in business and economy class. With the addition of Newark, Iberia now operates 3X-daily flights between Madrid and the New York area, including two to New York John F. Kennedy and one to EWR.
Air New Zealand’s alliance partnership with Air China has been reauthorized by the New Zealand Ministry of Transport through 2031, ensuring continued cooperation on flights between New Zealand and China. The alliance, launched in 2015, supports passenger services between the two countries and provides connections via Beijing and Shanghai to more than 30 destinations across China. During peak periods such as Chinese New Year, the partnership supports up to 17X-weekly return services between New Zealand and China.
ITA Airways has resumed service to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with flights to Rome Fiumicino. Service will be 2X-daily. The airline last served LHR in March 2024. The resumption has been made possible through cooperation with Lufthansa Group, which provided the necessary airport slots. ITA Airways will operate to 72 destinations in summer 2026 and will also launch a new Rome-Houston route on May 1, 2026, initially operating three times per week, increasing to 5X-weekly flights from June.
Wizz Air will launch three new routes from Maastricht Aachen Airport for the summer season, adding flights to Katowice and Lublin in Poland and Podgorica in Montenegro. The new routes complement the airline’s existing service to Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Separately, Wizz Air will launch a new route from Eindhoven Airport to Yerevan, Armenia, beginning Oct. 26, operating three times per week using Airbus A321neo aircraft during the winter season.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has commenced daily nonstop service between Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Istanbul Airport. The route is operated with Airbus A320neo aircraft. SAS says the new service will support tourism, trade and business travel while expanding its network from its CPH hub and improving connectivity between Scandinavia and destinations across Turkey and beyond.
Xiamen Air has launched new nonstop service between Quanzhou, China, and Cebu, Philippines. The route operates twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. “The launch of the Cebu-Quanzhou route reaffirms our mandate to drive economic growth in the region through robust aviation connectivity,” says Athanasios Titonis, CEO of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp.
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