Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Sept. 29, 2025)

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.

Oct. 3

Southwest Airlines plans to commence service to Anchorage, Alaska, in the first half of 2026, marking its entry into the state and expanding its domestic footprint to 43 states. Anchorage marks the fifth new destination the airline has announced so far in 2025 and will expand its network to 122 airports when service launches next year. Anchorage is the fifth new destination the carrier has announced in 2025 and will bring its total network to 122 airports when service begins next year. Southwest has not yet disclosed which routes it will operate to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

Norwegian will add a new route from Edinburgh Airport to Billund, Denmark, starting in April 2026. The service will run three times per week on Boeing 737 aircraft and operate through October. The carrier will also extend the season of its Bergen flights, offering 2X-weekly services from May to October, while increasing its Stockholm service to four per week. Edinburgh Airport CCO Stephanie Wear says the expansion highlights “clear demand for direct connections between Scotland and Scandinavia.”

Flyadeal has launched its first nonstop flights to Damascus. The Saudi LCC will offer three flights per week from Jeddah and a 4X-weekly service from Riyadh using Airbus A320 aircraft. “With over two million Syrians living and working in [Saudi Arabia], the restoration of air links provides great relief and will support the economic redevelopment of Syria as the country embarks on rebuilding its infrastructure attracting much-needed investment from the international community,” flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway says.

RwandAir will launch new flights connecting Kigali to Zanzibar and Mombasa beginning Dec. 1. The airline will operate the route four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Boeing 737 aircraft. The service marks RwandAir’s return to Mombasa, last served in 2019, and introduces Zanzibar as a new destination. With the additions, the airline will now serve three points in Tanzania and two in Kenya. “Returning to Mombasa and introducing Zanzibar is another step forward in our ambitious growth journey,” CEO Yvonne Makolo says. “By expanding our East African network, we are strengthening Kigali’s position as a key hub.”

Indonesia AirAsia has opened its first international service from Surabaya to Bangkok. The route will operate four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. AirAsia carried more than 310,000 passengers between Indonesia and Bangkok in the first half of 2025 and expects the new Surabaya route to further grow two-way tourism.

Oct. 2

Wizz Air has opened a new base at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport, stationing two Airbus A321neo aircraft and launching eight new routes. The expansion makes Yerevan the carrier’s 34^th base and positions Wizz as Armenia’s market leader with a 24% share. The airline now serves 16 routes to nine countries and expects to carry more than 1.2 million passengers to and from Armenia this year. The new routes will connect Yerevan to Prague, Hamburg, Paris Beauvais, Paphos, Naples, Bari, Bucharest Otopeni and Memmingen. Additionally, the ULCC has increased Yerevan–Dortmund flights to four per week and added new service from Gyumri to Larnaca.

Air India has launched its first nonstop service to the Philippines with a new route linking New Delhi and Manila. The new service will operate five times per week with Airbus A321neo aircraft in a three-class configuration. “The launch of nonstop flights to Manila unlocks the immense potential for tourism to the Philippines, as Indian travelers, with their growing appetite for leisure travel and increasing spending power, seek new and exciting destinations,” Air India CEO Campbell Wilson says.

Canada’s Porter Airlines will expand its 2025-26 winter program with a 25% increase in flights to sun destinations during peak periods and the launch of four new routes. The schedule introduces the carrier’s first transborder service from Vancouver, with daily flights to Phoenix starting Feb. 2, 2026. Ottawa will gain new links to American Airlines hubs in Phoenix and Miami, supporting the partners’ new codeshare agreement, while Montreal will see Porter’s first Caribbean service to Nassau, Bahamas, from Feb. 5. Capacity will also rise on routes to Fort Lauderdale, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Liberia and Grand Cayman from Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto Pearson.

Thai AirAsia has opened two new domestic routes from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), adding 2X-daily flights to Chiang Rai and a daily service to Nakhon Si Thammarat. The move expands BKK operations to 11 direct routes. “Operating from two Bangkok hubs—Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang—allows us to attract new customer segments and enhance connectivity across our network,” says Santisuk Klongchaiya, CEO of Thai AirAsia.

Aarhus Airport says Ryanair will expand capacity by more than 50% in summer 2026, building on strong traffic growth and high load factors in recent months. The airline’s updated program includes additional frequencies on routes such as Gdansk, London Stansted, Riga and Malaga. “We see the significant capacity expansion on the airline’s routes as a direct effect of the strong summer season and late summer, as well as a great recognition of what the market in East Jutland can deliver in terms of business for both Ryanair and us,” says Lotta Sandsgaard, CEO of Aarhus Airport.

Indian LCC IndiGo will launch new domestic flights between Coimbatore and Ahmedabad from Oct. 26. The service will operate four times per week using Airbus A320 aircraft. “This service not only offers travelers greater choice and convenience but also encourages stronger trade and tourism ties between the regions,” says IndiGo Head of Sales Vinay Malhotra.

Oct. 1

Etihad Airways will resume seasonal flights to Zanzibar in summer 2026, offering 4X-weekly services from Abu Dhabi between June 14 and Sept. 6. The return of the Indian Ocean destination marks the airline’s 30^th new route this year. Flights will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration. “The decision to return has been facilitated by Etihad's larger and more complete European network, with multiple double-daily services now feeding Abu Dhabi,” a statement from the airline says. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows Etihad served Zanzibar until March 2023.

Turkish Airlines’ board of directors has approved plans to add two new destinations to its network: Timisoara in Romania and Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. In a short statement, the carrier says the decision to launch service “remains subject to availability and market conditions.” The Star Alliance member currently serves three destinations in Romania—Bucharest Henri Coanda, Cluj-Napoca and Constanta—but the addition of Yerevan would mark its debut in Armenia.

Wizz Air has launched a new route linking Cyprus and Armenia, with flights between Larnaca International Airport and Gyumri’s Shirak International Airport. The service will initially operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 25, before switching to Thursdays and Sundays from Oct. 30 onward.

Saudi Arabia has signed a series of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding with 17 countries during ICAO’s 42^nd General Assembly. Agreements included bilateral air transport deals with Antigua and Barbuda and South Africa, as well as memoranda of understanding with the African Civil Aviation Commission. Additional signings covered Brazil, China, Algeria, Finland, Lithuania, Georgia, Seychelles and Saint Lucia. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation says the agreements will help carriers expand operations and advance the kingdom’s target of linking 250 destinations by 2030.

Sept. 30

American Airlines and Porter Airlines have launched a new codeshare partnership aimed at expanding travel options between the U.S. and Canada. Initially, American will place its code on select Porter flights from Toronto Pearson to Canadian cities such as Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, Victoria and Winnipeg. Porter will codeshare on select American flights through hubs including Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth and Philadelphia, with further U.S., Caribbean and Latin American destinations planned in future phases. "This partnership with American Airlines provides a true competitive alternative for passengers needing more options when flying between Canada and the U.S.," says Edmond Eldebs, Porter’s senior vice president and CCO.

SpiceJet will launch daily nonstop flights to Phuket from New Delhi and Mumbai, adding a second Thai destination alongside Bangkok. Flights from New Delhi are set to begin Oct. 31, 2025, followed by Mumbai services on Nov. 6. The move expands the LCC’s international offering and builds on strong outbound leisure demand from India.

Etihad Airways has commenced flights to Peshawar, its fourth nonstop destination in Pakistan, adding to services to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The new route connects Abu Dhabi with the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, serving strong demand from the more than 1.5 million Pakistanis living and working in the UAE. Flights will operate five times per week, rising to daily from Nov. 20, using Airbus A320s.

Ryanair has announced its winter 2025-26 schedules for Birmingham and Cardiff airports in the UK. From Birmingham, Ryanair will operate 39 routes, including three new services to Rovaniemi in Lapland, Rome Ciampino and Salzburg. Frequencies will rise on 14 other routes, covering both leisure markets such as Alicante, Barcelona and Faro, and city break destinations including Berlin, Krakow and Madrid. At Cardiff, Ryanair will operate three routes, with Alicante extended into the winter season. Dublin flights will also increase to 6X-weekly from Oct. 27.

British Airways plans to boost capacity across the Gulf, increasing flights from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow starting this October. From Oct. 27, the carrier will launch daily service from Bahrain, more than doubling frequencies and adding over 9,000 seats to the route through summer 2026. In Saudi Arabia, Riyadh flights will grow to 12 per week this winter and 14 from summer 2026, while Jeddah will increase to 5X-weekly services. Abu Dhabi will also see a daily operation beginning in winter 2025.

IndiGo is set to expand its domestic footprint this winter with new routes designed to strengthen connectivity across India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Starting Oct. 26, the carrier will launch daily flights linking Jaipur with Guwahati and Imphal, along with seasonal daily service between Bengaluru and Jaisalmer. From Oct. 28, 3X-weekly connections will begin between Varanasi and Durgapur, as well as between Varanasi and Bhubaneswar via Durgapur.

Sept. 29

Delta Air Lines will open service between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Porto Airport (OPO) from May 21, 2026. The route will be operated daily with a Boeing 767-300 aircraft configured to carry 226 passengers, including 26 in business class. OPO will become a new point in Delta’s network and the second airport it serves in Portugal. The airline currently operates daily service between JFK and Lisbon Airport (LIS). It also operates seasonal daily service between Boston and LIS. Azores Airlines ended its summer seasonal JFK-OPO service on Sept. 28. No other airline operates the route. Azores offered 2X-weekly flights on the JFK-OPO route with capacity of 524 two-way weekly seats, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data. Delta will offer 2,371 weekly two-way seats on the route. 

Ukrainian carrier SkyUp will commence service between Chisinau, Moldova, and Tel Aviv from Dec. 4. The route will be operated 3X-weekly.

Etihad Airways will launch flights between Abu Dhabi and Palma de Mallorca from June 12, 2026. The Spanish destination will become a new point in the airline’s network. The route will be operated 3X-weekly with an Airbus A321LR aircraft. The seasonal service will be flown through mid-September 2026.