The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Oct. 10
Southwest Airlines has opened bookings for its summer 2026 schedule, adding new international and domestic routes across its network. The carrier will launch new nonstop flights from Las Vegas to Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta on June 4, marking its first international service from the city. In California, Southwest will add a new San Diego–Boston route the same day and increase service between Los Angeles and key markets including Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose. Austin gains a new daily route to Cincinnati and the return of seasonal Seattle service. The airline will also debut service to Anchorage, Alaska, from May 15, with daily flights to Denver and Las Vegas, while Wichita will gain a new seasonal nonstop service to Orlando beginning June 6 and operating weekly through Aug. 1.
Air India will add a fourth daily flight between New Delhi and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) from Oct. 26. The move increases frequency from 24 to 28X-weekly flights, adding nearly 1,200 seats each way. All flights on the route will be operated using a mix of Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 787-9s. The additional LHR slots were secured from Middle East Airlines. The expansion increases the airline’s India-UK service to 61X-weekly flights linking five Indian cities to LHR, London Gatwick and Birmingham.
Greater Bay Airlines plans to launch a seasonal Hong Kong-Fukuoka service from Dec. 18 to Jan. 4, 2026, to meet peak holiday travel demand. The route will operate daily during the period, connecting Hong Kong International Airport and Fukuoka Airport in Kyushu, Japan.
IndiGo intends to increase frequencies on its New Delhi-Manchester routes this winter. The airline initially announced plans to launch the route on Nov. 15 with four flights per week. However, service will now begin with 5X-weekly roundtrips in response to strong demand.
Oct. 9
Air Transat will expand its network for summer 2026 with three new routes and several year-round service extensions. The carrier will launch Quebec City-Marseille flights from May 21 to Oct. 8, 2026, and introduce Ottawa-London Gatwick service from May 15, marking its first transatlantic route from the Canadian capital. A new Ottawa-Montreal connection will also run from May to October to improve access to Air Transat’s wider network. Additionally, the airline will convert several southern routes from seasonal to year-round operations, including Montreal-Cartagena-Medellin, Montreal-San Jose, and Toronto-Cartagena-Medellin.
Latvia’s airBaltic is preparing for the 2026 summer season with plans to expand operations from Riga. The airline will launch new routes to Kaunas, Lithuania; Oulu, Finland; and Antalya, Turkey, while restarting flights to Aberdeen, UK; Belgrade, Serbia; and Yerevan, Armenia. It will also increase frequencies on 20 existing routes, including to Istanbul, Turkey; Malaga, Spain; Milan, Italy; and Tbilisi, Georgia. The carrier plans to operate nearly 110 routes across its bases in summer 2026, supported by a fleet of 50 Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Vietnam Airlines will commence flights between Hanoi and Cebu on Dec. 1, marking its first connection to the Philippine city. The service will operate three times per week using Airbus A321 aircraft. Executive Vice President Dang Anh Tuan says the new route “is a clear testament to our commitment to expanding regional air connectivity” and strengthening cooperation in tourism and trade. With the addition, the carrier will offer a total of 12X-weekly flights between Vietnam and the Philippines, including nine services from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Manila.
Wizz Air will base a third Airbus A321neo aircraft at Wrocław Strachowice Airport from June 2026 as part of an expansion of its Polish operations. The move will support new routes to Gran Canaria, Catania, Ohrid, Varna, Keflavik and Dortmund, along with increased frequencies to Barcelona, Bari, Tirana and Malaga. The expansion brings Wizz Air’s network from Wrocław to 22 routes across 17 countries and adds more than 500,000 seats. CEO József Váradi says the investment “marks another milestone for Wrocław and for Poland.”
Sun Country Airlines plans to suspend its seasonal service between Duluth International Airport and Fort Myers for the 2025-26 winter season. The LCC had previously operated the route during winter months. Duluth Airport Authority Executive Director Tom Werner says the decision reflects “complex business considerations” but adds that the airline “has been a valued partner” in recent years. He says that the airport will continue working with existing and potential carriers to expand regional air service opportunities.
Flynas will commence flights between Moscow and Jeddah on Dec. 23, further expanding its network in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Air Connectivity Program. The Saudi LCC will operate 3X-weekly services between Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport and Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport. The new route follows the August launch of the airline’s Moscow-Riyadh service, the first scheduled operation by a Saudi carrier on the route.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will launch 3X-weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Damascus, Syria, starting Oct. 28. The new service will operate every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, connecting Zayed International Airport with Damascus International Airport. Group CEO Adel Al Ali says the route “marks another step in Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s continued network expansion strategy” and reflects the carrier’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and supporting travel, trade, and tourism across the region.
IndiGo has started flights between Mumbai and Copenhagen, marking its entry into Scandinavia and further expansion of its long-haul network. The 3X-weekly service is operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft damp leased from Norse Atlantic Airways. Copenhagen becomes IndiGo’s fourth European destination after Istanbul, Manchester, and Amsterdam, with London and Athens to follow. “We are steadily expanding our operations across the globe, and our strong partnerships—like the one we share with Denmark and the Copenhagen Airport—play a crucial role in enhancing the experience that we offer to our customers,” IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers says.
UK regional carrier Loganair will launch new services linking Southampton and Exeter with Manchester from Oct. 26, as part of its planned expansion across southern England. The Southampton-Manchester route will operate daily and forms the first phase of the airline’s new base at Southampton Airport, which is set to open in March 2026. The Exeter-Manchester service will begin with “frequent” flights, increasing to daily operations from March. Chief commercial officer Luke Lovegrove says the new routes reflect Loganair’s investment in regional connectivity and its commitment to improving affordable travel options across the UK.
Oct. 8
Wizz Air is expanding operations at Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport, Poland, with the addition of a ninth aircraft. The new Airbus A321neo will support the launch of five new routes from Gdansk to Poprad-Tatry, Slovakia; Tallinn, Estonia; Vilnius, Lithuania; Athens, Greece; and Nice, France, adding more than 500,000 seats and boosting connectivity across 39 routes to 19 countries. Service to Poprad-Tatry begins Dec. 25, with flights to the remaining four destinations launching in May 2026. From January to October 2025, Wizz says it has operated more than 50,000 flights in Poland, carrying 11 million passengers—a nearly 20% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, the ULCC intends to launch 2X-weekly flights between Lublin, Poland, and Maastricht, Netherlands, starting March 30, 2026, operated by Airbus A321neo aircraft. The new route follows the carrier’s planned Maastricht-Katowice service and forms part of a broader partnership with Maastricht Aachen Airport to expand Wizz’s European network over the next five years.
Jetstar Airways plans to launch its first nonstop flights between Hobart and Newcastle on Dec. 2, expanding Qantas Group capacity in and out of Tasmania by more than 76,000 seats a year. The seasonal service will operate three times per week through April 21, 2026, using Airbus A320 aircraft. QantasLink will also resume Hobart-Canberra service on Oct. 26 and continue its recently relaunched Hobart-Perth route. “The Qantas Group already carries more tourists into Hobart and Newcastle than any other airline—and arrivals are set to soar yet again,” Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully says.
Kazakhstan-based SCAT Airlines will commence flights between Shymkent and Tbilisi starting Dec. 15. The new service will operate 2X-weekly on Mondays and Fridays. The airline says the new route is expected to strengthen business, tourism and cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Georgia. SCAT will become the sole carrier to serve the sector, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows.
FlyOne will launch flights between Bucharest, Romania, and Munich on Oct. 27, expanding its European network ahead of the winter season. The service will operate three times per week, increasing to 4X-weekly from December, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. The new route will see the airline compete with Animawings, Lufthansa and Lufthansa City Airlines—all of which plan to operate the same city pair during the 2025-26 winter season.
British Airways plans to introduce a third daily flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and New Delhi in 2026. The additional frequency, subject to regulatory and capacity approval, will bring the carrier’s India schedule to 56X-weekly flights across five cities. British Airways says the expanded New Delhi service will provide greater schedule flexibility and improved connections to its global network via LHR. The announcement follows IndiGo’s confirmation of daily Mumbai-London Heathrow service from Oct. 26 using Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Dublin Airport (DUB) has announced expanded connectivity to the Middle East for the 2025-26 winter season, with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways all set to increase flight frequencies. Emirates will add a third daily service between Dublin and Dubai, while Qatar Airways will raise its Doha-Dublin schedule from 17 to 20X-weekly flights. Etihad Airways will increase its Abu Dhabi service to up to 11 flights per week. The additions form part of DUB’s broader winter schedule, which features more than 150 destinations served by 40 airlines.
Oct. 7
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has expanded its codeshare partnership with SkyTeam alliance partner Virgin Atlantic. The agreement allows SAS to place its “SK” code on several Virgin Atlantic flights from London Heathrow to destinations including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dubai and Male. “This expanded codeshare with Virgin Atlantic strengthens SAS' offering to both business and leisure travelers by opening up more options to popular destinations,” SAS Chief Commercial Officer Paul Verhagen says. SAS and Virgin Atlantic launched a bilateral codeshare agreement in October 2024.
Greater Bay Airlines will start flights between Hong Kong and Enshi in China’s Hubei Province from Oct. 10, expanding its network in the mainland market. The service will operate three times every two weeks to Enshi Xujiaping International Airport.
Japan Airlines (JAL) will launch nonstop service between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) on Jan. 17, 2026, complementing its existing Tokyo Haneda-DEL route. The airline says the expansion comes amid strong growth in India’s economy and rising travel demand between Japan, India, and North America. The route will operate alongside JAL’s NRT-Bengaluru flights.
Etihad Airways has opened new routes to Medan, Indonesia, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, expanding its network to 83 destinations worldwide. Both routes are operated by the airline’s new Airbus A321LR, featuring a three-cabin layout. The launches precede additional Asian expansion, with new routes to Krabi, Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Hong Kong planned in the coming months.
Wizz Air has launched its first service between Tirana and Malta, further strengthening its network from Albania. The new route will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Pegasus Airlines will commence a new route from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Diyarbakir, expanding its network from the German airport to 10 destinations in Turkey. Service will begin on Oct. 31, operating once a week from CGN on Fridays. Return flights from Diyarbakir to will operate on Saturdays, using an Airbus A320.
Oct. 6
Air Astana is expanding its Middle East and Asian networks with a mix of resumed services and frequency increases from its Kazakhstan hubs. The airline has restarted 2X-weekly flights from Almaty to Jeddah and weekly flights from Shymkent to Jeddah. In late October, flights from Almaty and Shymkent to Medina will operate twice and once weekly, respectively, while alternating fortnightly services will connect both Jeddah and Medina with Astana and Aktau. In Asia, Air Astana will resume flights from Almaty to Male three times a week, rising to five during peak season. The carrier will also operate up to daily flights from Almaty to Phu Quoc, with Astana-Phu Quoc running three times a week. Additionally, flights between Almaty and Dubai will grow from seven to 12 per week, while Astana-Dubai will increase from seven to 10X-weekly. Thailand routes will also see growth, with Almaty-Bangkok and Almaty-Phuket each doubling from four to seven per week. All flights will be operated by Airbus A320neo and A321LR aircraft.
Thai AirAsia plans to launch a route between Chiang Mai and Udon Thani on Dec. 1, expanding its domestic network. The service will operate four times per week—on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays—using 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. Currently, the LCC operates nine domestic direct routes from Chiang Mai, including Bangkok (both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang), Khon Kaen, Hua Hin, Krabi, Phuket, Hat Yai, Surat Thani and now Udon Thani.
EVA Air has launched nonstop service between Taipei and Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, marking its ninth passenger gateway in North America. The new route, operated with Boeing 787-9 aircraft, will initially operate 3X-weekly, increasing to daily service by year-end. EVA Air President Clay Sun says the expansion “builds on nearly 30 years of partnership with Dallas-Fort Worth, which began with our cargo operations.”
Jazeera Airways has resumed flights from Kuwait International Airport to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, expanding its network in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The airline will operate 2X-weekly services to each destination. The carrier says the additions will strengthen travel and trade ties between Kuwait and the UAE and offer passengers greater convenience and affordability.
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