The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
May 22
Alaska Airlines launched service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR), marking the carrier’s second transatlantic route. The carrier will operate the service daily with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Alaska will compete against British Airways, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic on the route. According to OAG Schedules Analyzer data, Alaska will operate 4,200 two-way weekly seats between SEA and LHR, 22% of the total seats offered by the four airlines. The new service comes on the heels of Alaska’s first transatlantic route launched in April, when the carrier commenced daily flights between SEA and Rome Fiumicino Airport using a 787-9 aircraft. From May 28, Alaska will start daily flights between SEA and Reykjavík, Iceland, operating the route with a 737-8 aircraft.
Swiss International Air Lines will launch flights between Zurich Airport (ZRH) and Bengaluru (BLR), which will become the airline’s third destination in India. From Oct. 25, Swiss will fly the ZRH-BLR route 5X-weekly with an Airbus A350 aircraft. “Our new Bengaluru service is particularly aimed at meeting the growing demand among the business community for direct flights to this major technology hub,” CEO Jens Fehlinger said. Swiss already serves Delhi and Mumbai.
United Airlines will open 5X-weekly year-round service between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and Las Vegas from Sept. 24. The carrier will kick off five-weekly seasonal flights between CLE and Miami from Dec. 3, with the service running until April 5, 2027.
Cathay Pacific extended its suspension of flights between Hong Kong and Dubai through Aug. 31. The carrier cited “softened travel demand to the Middle East.”
American Airlines unveiled its “football schedule” for the upcoming autumn, adding ad hoc routes on which it does not normally operate. To accommodate fans traveling to and from NFL games, American will fly the following temporary routes: Detroit to Buffalo, New York on Sept. 17, with a return flight on Sept. 18; Nashville, Tennessee to Baltimore on Oct. 3, with a return flight on Oct. 5; Seattle to Denver on Oct. 15, with a return flight on Oct. 16; Buffalo to Las Vegas on Oct. 16, with a return flight on Oct. 19; Dallas-Fort Worth to Green Bay, Wisconsin on Oct. 17, with a return flight on Oct. 19; Pittsburgh to Tampa on Oct. 17, with a return flight on Oct. 19; Charlotte to Green Bay on Oct. 19, with a return flight on Oct. 30; Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Boston on Nov. 7, with a return flight on Nov. 9; Seattle to Las Vegas on Nov. 14, with a return flight on Nov. 16; Buffalo to Green Bay on Dec. 12, with a return flight on Dec. 14; Boston to Kansas City, Missouri on Dec. 21, with a return flight on Dec. 22; San Francisco to Kansas City on Dec. 26, with a return flight on Dec. 28; Buffalo to Miami on Dec. 31, with a return flight on Jan. 4; and Houston Bush to Green Bay on Jan. 4, with a return flight on Jan. 5.
May 21
U.S. low-cost leisure carrier Allegiant Air will add eight Florida routes in October and November, including four from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). ULCC Spirit Airlines, which ceased operations on May 2, was based at FLL and carriers are moving to take advantage of its absence. On Oct. 1 and 2, Las Vegas-based Allegiant will open service from FLL to Boston; Kansas City, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All but Omaha were served from FLL by Spirit. “Our mission is to offer service where it is needed most, and these additions ensure that affordable fares can remain available to consumers despite industry changes,” Allegiant Chief Commercial Officer Drew Wells said. The carrier will also open service between St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and Philadelphia from Oct. 2. Allegiant will additionally launch service between PIE and Columbia, Missouri from Nov. 19. The airline will open flights between Punta Gorda, Florida and La Crosse, Wisconsin from Oct. 1. Service between Orlando-Sanford International Airport and Trenton, New Jersey will kick off on Oct. 2. Allegiant did not reveal frequencies on the eight routes, but typically operates around 2X-weekly service.
Air France will add an additional flight on the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)-Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) route on three days in late May to accommodate soccer fans traveling to Budapest for the May 30 UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint Germain and Arsenal. The carrier will operate a third daily frequency on the CDG-BUD route on May 28, 29 and 31. Additionally, the airline will use a Boeing 777 on select already-scheduled flights on the route, which Air France operates with an Airbus A220-300.
Delta Air Lines extended its suspension of flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) through Dec. 18. The carrier still plans to resume service between New York John F. Kennedy and TLV on Sept. 6. Delta’s planned launch of service between Boston and TLV is “delayed until further notice,” the airline said.
May 20
Saudi Arabian carrier Flynas opened its fifth operational base at Abha International Airport (AHB), from which it plans to serve 11 destinations. The carrier already operates from domestic bases in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina. Flynas said it will operate year-round international service from AHB to Addis Ababa, Cairo, Dubai and Istanbul, plus seasonal routes to Kuwait and Trabzon, Turkey. “The number of international and domestic destinations linked to Abha is set to double gradually,” flynas said.
Air New Zealand will launch three international routes from Christchurch Airport (CHC) later this year. From Oct. 28, the carrier will kick off service between CHC and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). From Nov. 28, Air New Zealand will start flights between CHC and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT), to be followed with the Nov. 30 commencement of service between CHC and Perth Airport (PER) in Australia. All three routes will be flown 3X-weekly with a Boeing 787 aircraft.
Cebu Pacific said it will resume flights between Manila and Dubai on July 2 “after safety assessments and coordination with Dubai airport authorities.” The route will be operated 4X-weekly.
Etihad Airways will expand its service between Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). From July 1, the carrier will operate two daily Airbus A380 flights on the route, plus a third daily flight with a Boeing 787-9. “With three daily flights to Paris, including two operated by the A380, Etihad is significantly expanding premium travel capacity” on the AUH-CDG route, the carrier said.
Saudi Arabian LCC Flyadeal will launch service between Riyadh and Hyderabad, India, from July 1. Flights will be operated daily with an A320neo in a 186-seat all-economy configuration. The route marks Flyadeal’s first scheduled service to India. Acting CEO Sanjiv Kapoor said India “is a key part” of the airline’s long-term strategy, adding, “Flyadeal will soon announce a second Indian destination.”
May 19
Delta Air Lines opened service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Nice Cote d'Azur Airport (NCE) in France. The route will be flown seasonally 3X-weekly through Oct. 23. Delta’s BOS-NCE flights are being operated with an Airbus A330-300 configured to carry 282 passengers, including 34 in business class, 21 in premium economy and 227 in economy. The BOS-NCE route is exclusive to Delta. The airline already flies to NCE from New York John F. Kennedy and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airports.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Qatar Airways will expand a codeshare relationship started last year, when Qatar Airways placed its QR code on daily flights that PAL launched between Manilla’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) and Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH). From June 1, PAL will place its PR code on Qatar Airways’ flights from four airports in the Philippines—Cebu, Clark, Davao and MNL—to DOH. Qatar Airways in turn will place its code on PAL’s domestic flights from MNL and Cebu.
Canada’s WestJet started service between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Glasgow Airport (GLA). Flights will be operated 3X-weekly with a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. According to OAG Schedules Analyzer data, the airline is scheduled to fly 1,424 weekly two-way seats between YYZ and GLA on a seasonal basis through mid-September. WestJet will compete against Air Transat, which operates the YYZ-GLA route year-round.
Southwest Airlines launched its first flights to Alaska, adding Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) to its network. The carrier will fly to ANC 2X-daily on a seasonal basis through mid-September from both Denver International Airport (DEN) and Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). Alaska will compete with United Airlines and Alaska Airlines on the DEN-ANC route. According to OAG Schedules Analyzer data, United operates the service year-round while Alaska flies between DEN and ANC seasonally. Southwest will also compete against Alaska on the LAS-ANC route. Alaska operates between the cities nearly year-round with two brief breaks. Southwest noted Alaska becomes the 43rd U.S. state it serves.
Etihad Airways and Uzbekistan Airways signed a codeshare agreement to take effect on Aug. 9. Uzbekistan Airways will place its HY code on Etihad Airways’ daily flights between Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) and Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS). Etihad in turn will place its EY code on Uzbekistan Airways flights from TAS to eight domestic destinations: Andizhan, Bukhara, Fergana, Namangan, Nukus, Samarkand, Termez and Urgench.
May 18
Canadian carrier Air Transat opened service between Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). Flights will be operated 3X-weekly with an Airbus A321neo. Transat will be the only airline flying between YOW and LGW. Air Canada operates between YOW and London Heathrow Airport. Transat flies year-round between Toronto Pearson International Airport and LGW, as well as seasonally between Montreal Trudeau International Airport and LGW.
Latvian airline airBaltic will launch two new routes in January 2027. The carrier will start flights between Vilnius, Lithuania, and Geneva from Jan. 2. AirBaltic will fly between its base in Riga and Turin, Italy, from Jan. 27. Both routes will be operated once weekly with Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Qatar Airways Cargo restarted Boeing 777 freighter flights to Vienna via a weekly Doha-Budapest-Vienna-Doha routing. The carrier is also adding a second weekly 777F flight on its Doha–Budapest–Warsaw–Doha routing.
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