The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Oct. 27
KLM has extended the suspension of flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai amid continued disruption to its Middle East network. Services to Riyadh and Dammam will remain suspended through Nov. 27, 2026, while flights to Dubai will not resume until the start of the summer 2027 schedule on March 28. The latest extension means KLM will remain absent from Dubai throughout the winter 2026-27 season.
Wizz Air has launched a new route between Berlin Brandenburg Airport and Vilnius, Lithuania, operating 3X-weekly using Airbus A321neo aircraft. Flights operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The addition expands the ULCC’s Berlin network to 17 destinations across 13 countries during the winter 2026-27 season. The airline will further expand its Berlin schedule on Dec. 14 with the launch of daily flights to Milan.
TAP Air Portugal has commenced nonstop service between Porto and Sal, Cape Verde, expanding its network from Porto to seven intercontinental destinations. The route operates 2X-weekly using Airbus A320neo aircraft, with departures from Porto on Thursdays and Sundays during the winter 2026-27 season. Flights will continue during summer 2027 with a Wednesday and Saturday schedule. Sal joins Praia, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, New York, Boston and Luanda in TAP’s intercontinental network from Porto.
Etihad Airways has introduced Airbus A380 service between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, marking its first deployment of the aircraft to Thailand. The A380 will operate daily between Zayed International Airport and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, increasing capacity on the route for the winter season. Bangkok becomes the latest destination in Etihad’s expanding A380 network, following the introduction of the aircraft on daily Abu Dhabi-Tokyo flights in June 2026.
WestJet and Qatar Airways have launched a reciprocal codeshare partnership. WestJet will initially place its code on Qatar Airways’ nonstop services from Toronto and Montreal to Doha, while Qatar Airways will add its code to selected WestJet flights from Toronto and Montreal, providing connections to 11 Canadian destinations, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, St. John’s and Winnipeg. A later phase will see WestJet codeshare on selected Qatar Airways services beyond Doha.
Porter Airlines has opened a 2X-daily service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The route is operated using 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft. The move from Chicago Midway to ORD also enables onward connections through Porter’s codeshare partnership with American Airlines, including to Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Orange County, San Diego and Seattle.
Air China has begun scheduled service between Beijing Capital and Keflavik, Iceland, operating via Copenhagen. The route started on Oct. 26 and operates 3X-weekly, providing Keflavik with a new connection to China and the wider Asian market.
Oct. 26
Finnair has launched daily service between Helsinki and Melbourne via Bangkok, marking the airline’s first scheduled flights to Australia using its own aircraft and airline code. The route is operated using Airbus A350 aircraft, with Finnair holding fifth-freedom rights to carry passengers between Bangkok and Melbourne. The service provides onward connections through Helsinki to around 90 destinations in Europe. “This is an important milestone for us, bringing Finnair's own flights to Australia for the first time and creating a new daily connection between Melbourne, Finland and the rest of Europe,” Christine Rovelli, Finnair's chief revenue officer, says.
Transavia France has commenced nonstop service between Brest and Seville, Spain, expanding its network from Brest Bretagne Airport to six destinations. The new route operates 2X-weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. Seville joins Agadir, Marrakech, Marseille, Porto and Toulon in Transavia’s network from the French airport.
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