The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Oct. 24
Air Canada will begin flying from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to four major U.S. cities from spring 2026, marking its largest expansion at the downtown airport in 35 years. The carrier will introduce new nonstop routes to New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles, operated by Jazz Aviation using 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft. The services will begin following the opening of a U.S. Customs pre-clearance facility at Billy Bishop, allowing passengers to complete entry procedures before departure. From March 29, flights to New York will operate 4X-daily, followed by Chicago and Washington from June 1 and Boston from July 1. Air Canada will also boost frequencies on its existing Toronto Island routes to Montreal and Ottawa from January 2026, increasing to nine and six return flights per day, respectively. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Air Canada will compete directly with Porter Airlines in the Billy Bishop-Boston Logan and Billy Bishop-Washington Dulles markets, and indirectly with Porter on its Billy Bishop-Chicago O’Hare and Billy Bishop-Newark routes.
United Airlines will add 10 new and resumed domestic routes from Chicago O’Hare International Airport in 2026 after securing additional gates. Beginning spring 2026, United will launch daily flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara, California; Eugene, Oregon; Paducah, Kentucky; Lynchburg, Virginia; Rochester, Minnesota; Wausau, Wisconsin; and Marquette, Michigan. All will operate year-round. The carrier last served several of these destinations—including Eugene, Paducah and Santa Barbara—in 2022. The airline will also increase several weekend-only routes to daily service next summer, including Hilton Head, South Carolina; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sun Valley, Idaho; Aruba; and Nassau, Bahamas. West Palm Beach, Florida will move from seasonal to year-round service.
AJet has launched flights between Ankara and Madrid, marking the carrier’s latest expansion into Western Europe. The new service operates three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The Turkish Airlines subsidiary is the sole operator of the route.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is expanding its international network for the December-January peak season, adding capacity across Australia, Japan and the U.S. From mid-December, Manila-Perth flights will double to 6X-weekly, while Manila-Melbourne will become daily. Select Manila-Brisbane services will be upgraded to Airbus A330-300s from A321neos. In Japan, PAL will resume Manila-Sapporo flights 3X- weekly from Nov. 24 and add extra frequencies on Narita, Osaka and Nagoya routes. Additional Japan services will also operate from Cebu, alongside new 3X-weekly Cebu-Guam flights starting Dec. 16. In North America, Manila-Seattle will rise from three to 5X-weekly services from Nov. 25.
Oct. 23
LOT Polish Airlines will boost its regional presence in Poland with three new year-round routes from Krakow Airport to Rome, Barcelona and Madrid, starting March 30, 2026. All three routes will be operated using Boeing 737-8 aircraft as part of the airline’s strategy to strengthen its network beyond Warsaw. The expansion will add more than 250,000 annual seats from Krakow, increasing LOT’s total destinations there to 11 during the 2026 summer season. “The development of the regional flight network enables us to fully capitalize on the potential of Polish cities and regions,” says LOT CEO Michał Fijoł.
Volotea will launch its first international service from Granada on Dec. 18, connecting Federico Garcia Lorca Granada-Jaen Airport with Nantes Atlantique Airport in France. The route will operate twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays, under an agreement with the Granada Provincial Council, which is funding efforts to attract new air links. With the addition of Nantes, Volotea will offer three routes from Granada, alongside Asturias and Santander, providing about 37,000 seats in 2025, up 9% year over year. The airline resumed operations in Granada in 2023.
Ryanair plans to add new routes from Friedrichshafen Airport, Germany, to Alicante and Palma de Mallorca during the summer 2026 season. Flights to Alicante will be 2X-weekly, while Palma will receive three flights per week. While announcing the expansion, Ryanair again criticized Germany’s “high access costs” and the government’s aviation tax increase, which is says is forcing the airline to cancel 24 routes during winter 2025-26.
Oct. 22
Pegasus Airlines and Iberia have entered a new codeshare agreement designed to expand connectivity between Turkey, Spain, Portugal and destinations in Latin America. Under the partnership, Pegasus passengers can now connect via Madrid-Barajas Airport to 13 additional destinations, including Malaga, Tenerife, Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Ibiza and Lisbon, as well as Sao Paulo in Brazil. In return, Iberia customers will gain access to Pegasus’ Madrid-Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen service, with onward connections to seven Turkish cities, including Ankara, Antalya and Izmir.
United Airlines plans to launch new regional service from Carlsbad, California, in March 2026, adding 2X-daily flights to both Denver and San Francisco. The routes, operated by SkyWest Airlines under the United Express brand using Embraer 175s, are currently unserved, according to OAG Schedules Analyser. “Carlsbad is a bit different for the United network,” says Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances. “It’s not Bangkok. It’s not Bari. It’s a small domestic airport, and there’s something special about connecting it to the world.”
TUI will base a fourth aircraft at Cardiff Airport (CWL) for summer 2026, marking its largest-ever program from Wales. The expansion will add new routes to Faro, Portugal, and Hurghada, Egypt, while Fuerteventura, introduced for winter 2025-26, will continue into the summer schedule. The move reflects growing demand, with CWL handling 928,000 passengers in the 12 months to September 2025, up 5.3% year over year. Meanwhile, Loganair will withdraw its Cardiff-Edinburgh service in January 2026 for operational reasons. “The route has been very popular with both business and leisure travellers,” CWL says, adding that discussions are underway with other carriers to restore the connection between Wales and Scotland.
Royal Air Maroc has announced plans to open a new route between Casablanca and St. Petersburg, Russia. The carrier will operate 3X-weekly flights between the cities beginning Jan. 20, 2026. CEO Hamid Addou says the launch marks “a major strategic step” in expanding the airline’s network and connecting Morocco and Africa to key global cultural and economic hubs. The new route complements the carrier’s existing daily Casablanca-Moscow Sheremetyevo service.
IndiGo will launch daily nonstop flights between Mumbai and Madinah from Nov. 15, expanding its network between India and Saudi Arabia amid rising demand for religious and business travel. The route, operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, will make the LCC the only Indian carrier offering nonstop service between the destinations. IndiGo already operates more than 150 weekly flights to Saudi Arabia, serving Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Madinah. The airline also confirmed that its existing Hyderabad-Madinah service will increase from 4X-weekly to daily flights from Nov. 16.
Blue Islands will introduce 2X-daily flights between Southampton and Leeds Bradford from March 29, 2026, enhancing connectivity between the English cities. The route will be operated by the airline’s 70-seat ATR aircraft, supporting both business and leisure travel. Blue Islands CEO Rob Veron says the new service builds on more than 15 years of operations from Southampton, describing it as “an important step in our ongoing commitment to the airport and its role as a South Coast hub.”
British Airways will add a new weekly seasonal route between Glasgow and Palma de Mallorca for summer 2026, operated by its BA Cityflyer subsidiary. The service will run every Saturday from May 9. Glasgow Airport operator AGS Airports’ Aero Director Chris Tibbett says the route “strengthens Glasgow Airport’s short-haul network” and offers “a convenient and high-quality travel option for Scottish holidaymakers.” BA Cityflyer operates Embraer 190 aircraft.
Airlines are expanding operations at Zurich Airport in the upcoming winter schedule. Condor will increase Frankfurt flights to 3X-daily, while Edelweiss resumes Colombo after a three-year break and boosts frequencies to Punta Cana, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Cape Town and Phuket. Oman Air will return with 4X-weekly Muscat services, and Etihad Airways will raise Abu Dhabi-Zurich flights from 13 to 16X-weekly from Nov. 1. Meanwhile, at Berlin Brandenburg, Condor will expand to 5X-daily departures, including 3X-daily Frankfurt flights from Nov. 3, plus daily services to Dubai and Hurghada.
Oct. 21
Royal Jordanian will resume regular service between Munich and Amman on March 27, 2026, restoring the nonstop connection that last operated in 2020. The year-round route to Queen Alia International Airport will run three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights will be operated using Airbus A320neo aircraft. As previously reported, the airline will also commence a new 2X-weekly service between Amman and Hamburg on March 28.
Australian LCC Jetstar has inaugurated its first-ever flight from Newcastle to Bali. The new service will operate three times a week using Airbus A321LR aircraft, providing more than 70,000 seats each year. This route marks Newcastle’s return to international travel. “This new international service represents a significant moment for both Jetstar and Newcastle Airport, as the airline that launched its first commercial flight from Newcastle in 2004 now leads the region into its international future,” Newcastle Airport CEO Linc Horton says.
TransNusa is expanding its Bali hub with a new international route to Singapore’s Changi Airport. The carrier will initially operate three flights per week on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays from Nov. 17, increasing to daily service on Nov. 30. TransNusa Group CEO Bernard Francis says the Bali-Singapore route will provide passengers with additional travel choices and tap strong demand from Singaporean visitors to Bali.
Turkish LCC AJet will launch a new route connecting Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport with Rotterdam, Netherlands, starting Feb. 22, 2026. The airline will operate 4X-weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that the Turkish Airlines subsidiary will compete with Pegasus Airlines.
Canada’s WestJet plans to open a seasonal crew base in Quebec City this winter, operating from December 2025 through April 2026 to support strong demand for winter travel to sun destinations. Flights from Quebec City will continue to serve leisure destinations including Cancun, Punta Cana, Montego Bay, Varadero, Puerto Vallarta and San Andres. WestJet says the base will operate seasonally, with summer flying supported by crews based in Montreal and other nearby stations.
Air France says it plans to operate nearly 800 daily flights to close to 170 destinations across 73 countries during the winter 2025-26 season. The carrier will launch new nonstop routes from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Phuket, Thailand, starting Nov. 27, and to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from Jan. 13 through March 2026. Long-haul capacity will rise about 3%, with increased service to North America, Brazil, Costa Rica and several African and Indian Ocean destinations.
AirAsia has launched its inaugural flight connecting Kuala Lumpur and Banjarmasin, Indonesia, marking its first scheduled international service between Malaysia and South Kalimantan. The new route expands the LCC’s Indonesian network to 18 destinations. “Indonesia has always been an important market for us,” AirAsia Malaysia CEO Fareh Mazputra says, adding that the service strengthens regional connectivity and supports local communities. Flights will be offered 4X-weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Oct. 20
IndiGo has confirmed that it will launch flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Athens in January 2026, marking the airline’s first use of its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft and its entry into long-range narrowbody operations. Service from Mumbai begins Jan. 23, followed by New Delhi-Athens on Jan. 24, with both routes operating three times per week. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers says: “We are confident that these new routes will play a vital role in strengthening cultural and economic ties between the two ancient civilizations. As outbound travel from India continues to expand, Athens is emerging as a key European destination for leisure, [meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions] and wedding tourism. This direct connection will also unlock substantial potential for more bilateral engagements.”
Qatar Airways and Kenya Airways will begin a new codeshare partnership covering 19 destinations starting Oct. 26, expanding connectivity between Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Kenya Airways will place its code on Qatar Airways flights between Nairobi and Doha, as well as onward to 10 destinations including Bahrain, Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Malé, Muscat, Singapore and Tokyo Narita. In turn, Qatar Airways will codeshare on eight Kenya Airways routes across Africa, including Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Lilongwe, Livingstone, Juba, Nampula and Victoria Falls. Qatar Airways CCO Thierry Antinori says the partnership “further strengthens our presence in Kenya and the African continent.”
Royal Jordanian will commence a new nonstop service between Amman and Hamburg on March 28, 2026, marking the airline’s first route to northern Germany and expanding its European network. The service will operate 2X-weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, using Airbus A320 aircraft. Hamburg will be the carrier’s fifth destination in Germany. “We will focus on positioning Jordan as an attractive new travel destination while strengthening connectivity between Europe, the Levant, the Gulf and Asia,” Royal Jordanian CCO Karim Makhlouf says.
Frontier Airlines has inaugurated its first flights from Virginia's Richmond International Airport (RIC), launching nonstop service to Atlanta and Denver. Both routes will operate twice a week. Perry J. Miller, president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Commission, which owns and operates RIC, said Frontier’s arrival marks “an exciting milestone for our region,” adding that the new routes “not only offer affordable, convenient options for travelers but also strengthen Richmond’s connections to two of the nation’s most dynamic cities.”
China Southern Airlines has launched a 3X-weekly service between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport, enhancing connectivity between China and Qatar. Flights will be operated using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Xiamen Airlines and Qatar Airways also operate flights between Beijing and Doha, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
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