The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
March 13
Delta Air Lines plans to launch daily Airbus A350-900 service between Los Angeles and Manila in summer 2027, part of its effort to expand connectivity between the U.S. and the Philippines. In a filing with the U.S. Transportation Department, Delta said the proposed service would provide new routing options and additional competition for travelers between the two countries. However, the airline urged regulators to defer approval of Philippine Airlines’ application to launch Manila-Chicago O’Hare flights until U.S. carriers receive assurances of commercially viable slots and airport infrastructure access at Manila.
Wizz Air will add a fourth Airbus A321neo to its base at Venice Marco Polo Airport from September 2026, supporting a network expansion that includes five new routes and about 500,000 additional seats. The ULCC will launch flights from Venice to Bilbao and Malaga from Sept. 14, followed by Alicante and Seville from Sept. 15. A new domestic route to Naples will begin Dec. 1, operating up to 11X-weekly. The expansion will bring Wizz Air’s Venice network to 26 routes across 16 countries.
AirAsia Philippines will launch daily service between Cebu and Bangkok Don Mueang from June 11. The airline says the service supports its strategy of positioning Cebu as a key international gateway in the Visayas. Since establishing the Cebu hub in November 2025, AirAsia Philippines has launched routes to Macao, Kuala Lumpur, Caticlan and Davao. The carrier is also expanding operations from Manila, adding 5X-weekly flights to Taipei from March 30, four to Kaohsiung from April 3 and three to Macao from April 4.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will introduce an overnight aircraft stop in Kiruna from Oct. 25, 2026, enabling early-morning departures to Stockholm and late-evening returns to support same-day travel between the cities. The airline will also increase service between Copenhagen and Kiruna during the winter season to meet rising international demand for Scandinavian winter destinations. Flights between the two cities will increase from 2X-weekly to 3X-weekly during the peak period from Dec. 17 to March 7, 2027.
March 12
Vietjet has announced plans to launch two new international routes. The airline will begin 5X-weekly service between Da Nang and Jakarta from April 29, becoming the first carrier to operate nonstop flights between the two cities. The route expands Vietjet’s Vietnam-Indonesia network, which also includes services linking Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with Bali and Jakarta. The LCC will also launch a Nha Trang-Singapore route from June 1, operating 4X-weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The airline says the additions strengthen regional connectivity and support tourism flows across Southeast Asia, while increasing its Vietnam-Singapore network to five routes including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Phu Quoc and Da Nang.
SunExpress will enter the Montenegrin market with two new routes from Podgorica to Antalya and Izmir for the summer 2026 season. The carrier will launch 2X-weekly service to Antalya from June 14 through the end of October, operating Tuesdays and Sundays. A second route to Izmir will begin June 12 with 2X-weekly flights on Tuesdays and Fridays.
BermudAir will operate 29 weekly flights from nine North American gateways during its summer 2026 schedule, running from May 25 through Sept. 3. The airline will offer daily service from Boston and the New York area and 6X-weekly flights from Toronto. New York-area services include LaGuardia (2X-weekly), Newark (3X-weekly) and Westchester (3X-weekly). Other routes include Baltimore/Washington (2X-weekly), Orlando (2X-weekly), Halifax (2X-weekly) and Montreal (2X-weekly).
Air India will expand its domestic network from Oct. 25, adding new routes and frequencies. The airline will introduce daily service linking New Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi on a triangular routing designed to support tourism to the Unesco-listed temples of Khajuraho and the spiritual hub of Varanasi. Flights will alternate between New Delhi-Khajuraho-Varanasi-New Delhi and New Delhi-Varanasi-Khajuraho-New Delhi. Air India will also launch seasonal daily nonstop flights between Mumbai and Jaisalmer, complementing its existing New Delhi-Jaisalmer service. In addition, the carrier will add a second daily frequency between New Delhi and Gaya.
March 11
Air Europa has expanded its Latin American network through a new codeshare agreement with Chilean LCC Sky Airline, enabling service to Santiago via Lima. Air Europa passengers are now able to travel between Lima and Santiago on Sky-operated flights. The agreement also covers five domestic routes within Peru from Lima to Cuzco, Arequipa, Iquitos, Trujillo and Tarapoto. Air Europa says the cooperation is expected to grow further, with plans to add additional codeshare destinations from Santiago, including Salvador and Sao Paulo in Brazil, Montevideo in Uruguay and Buenos Aires in Argentina, subject to regulatory approvals.
AirAsia will launch 4X-weekly service between Kota Bharu, Malaysia, and Jakarta from June 16, expanding its Indonesia network with its 20th route linking the two countries. The airline will become the first carrier to operate an international service between Kota Bharu and Indonesia. AirAsia says the route supports Kelantan’s tourism growth ambitions and is expected to stimulate leisure, medical and business travel between the two markets. The LCC currently operates more than 370 weekly flights between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Ryanair has announced its summer 2026 schedule for Pisa, Italy, featuring 58 routes including two new services to Bratislava and Rabat. The program will also see increased frequencies on existing routes including Brussels, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Malta, Manchester, Marrakech, Palma de Mallorca, Skiathos, Tirana and Trapani-Marsala. The schedule will be supported by nine Ryanair-based aircraft in Pisa.
Royal Brunei Airlines will operate temporary nonstop services between Bandar Seri Begawan and London Heathrow from March 10-28, maintaining connectivity after suspending flights via Dubai due to regional airspace conditions. The carrier will operate the service three times per week during the period as an operational adjustment aimed at supporting passengers traveling between Brunei and the UK.
March 10
American Airlines has launched daily summer service between New York John F. Kennedy and Edinburgh, deploying the Airbus A321XLR on a transatlantic route for the first time. Flights will operate through Oct. 24. “When we launched our Philadelphia route last year, the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, so we look forward to helping Scottish travelers connect to a new U.S. destination this year,” says José A. Freig, vice president for international and inflight dining operations at American Airlines.
EasyJet has commenced a 2X-weekly route between London Stansted and Paris Charles de Gaulle. The service operates Thursdays and Sundays through March before switching to Mondays and Fridays for the summer schedule. The route increases easyJet’s network from Stansted to seven destinations.
Air Cairo will launch new services from Oslo to Cairo and Hurghada starting in the winter 2026-27 season. The Cairo route will operate 2X-weekly on Mondays and Thursdays, while Oslo-Hurghada flights will operate weekly on Sundays. Services will be flown using 180-seat Airbus A320ceo/neo aircraft. “We are proud to mark another important milestone in the development of our European network,” says Ahmed Aziz, commercial vice president at Air Cairo. “The introduction of these direct routes shows our long-term commitment to expanding our presence in this important market.”
March 9
China Eastern Airlines will return to Stockholm Arlanda Airport in June with a new nonstop route from Shanghai Pudong, restoring direct connectivity between Sweden and China. The service will begin June 22, operating 3X-weekly on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. “There is great confidence in the Swedish air travel market and China Eastern’s investment in a direct route from Stockholm Arlanda Airport to Shanghai is a clear sign of this,” says Elizabeth Axtelius, director for aviation business at airport operator Swedavia. “China Eastern will play an important role in connecting Sweden to China and other well-established markets in Asia.”
GOL Linhas Aéreas has confirmed details of its first long-haul nonstop service between Rio de Janeiro Galeão (GIG) and New York John F. Kennedy, with flights scheduled to begin on July 8. The route will operate 3X-weekly and forms part of the airline’s broader international expansion strategy thanks to the planned addition of five Airbus A330 aircraft to its fleet. The service was announced during an event at GIG attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and GOL CEO Celso Ferrer following Routes Americas 2026 in Rio. GOL says it has invested about $1.2 billion in assets in Rio and currently operates more than 30 domestic and international routes from the city.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has launched a 3X-daily service between Riga and Copenhagen. The new flights strengthen connectivity between Latvia and Denmark. The service also marks SAS’ return to Riga after an absence since 2008.
Indonesia AirAsia has opened a domestic route between Surabaya and Makassar. The new route allows passengers to connect via Makassar to cities including Luwuk, Palu and Kendari. “The opening of the Surabaya-Makassar route is part of our commitment to expanding national connectivity, especially toward eastern Indonesia,” says Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, acting CEO of Indonesia AirAsia. “Makassar will be strengthened as a virtual hub that makes it easier for people to reach cities such as Luwuk, Palu and Kendari in a single journey.”
Southwest Airlines has commenced service to Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport, adding East Tennessee to its network. The carrier began operations March 5 with an inaugural flight from Nashville, where the aircraft received a water cannon salute on arrival. It will offer 2X-daily roundtrips between Knoxville and Nashville, as well as daily flights to Baltimore/Washington, Dallas Love Field and Orlando. Weekend service to Denver, Austin and Tampa is scheduled to begin in spring 2026. With the addition of Knoxville, Southwest serves 119 airports across 42 U.S. states, two territories and 11 countries.
Related Content
