The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
May 23
Uzbek carrier Air Samarkand is expanding its international network with new routes and increased frequencies across Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Israel. The airline launched charter services from Tashkent to Tbilisi on May 18 and will begin flights to Batumi on May 24. Both routes are part of a program with tour operator EasyBooking. Regular flights to Baku will begin June 6, departing from Samarkand and Tashkent. The airline will also boost frequencies on two routes: Samarkand–Istanbul will increase to 5X-weekly flights from May 26, and Samarkand–Tel Aviv will add a second weekly service starting July 3.
Air Transat is expanding its South American network with a new route linking Toronto to Medellín, Colombia, via Cartagena. The service will operate twice a week during the winter 2025-26 season, with the start date and schedule still to be announced. “Adding Medellín to our network reflects our desire to expand our network while meeting a real demand from our clients for both leisure travel and family reunions,” says Sebastian Ponce, Transat's chief revenue officer. The new route also increases flight frequency to Cartagena.
Italy’s Aeroitalia will launch two new seasonal domestic routes from Perugia’s San Francesco d’Assisi International Airport in June. The carrier will begin service to Lamezia Terme on June 14, with flights operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Service to Olbia will follow on June 15, with flights scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays. The new routes offer direct access from Umbria to Calabria and Sardinia, two of Italy’s most popular coastal destinations during the summer season.
Vietnamese LCC Vietjet has confirmed the launch of two routes from Hanoi to Chengdu and Xi’an in China, with flights starting July 1 and July 6, respectively. Each route will operate four roundtrip flights per week. These additions bring the airline’s total number of Vietnam–China routes launched in the first half of 2025 to seven. These new services follow Vietjet's recent launches connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Beijing and Guangzhou, as well as the Hanoi-Shanghai route introduced in March and April.
AirAsia Philippines is increasing international flight frequencies in response to rising demand. Flights between Manila and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, are now operating daily, up from three times a week. Service to Taipei will also expand, increasing from 14 to 17X-weekly flights starting July 1. The airline said these adjustments aim to enhance regional connectivity and offer more flexible travel options for both leisure and business passengers. The changes come as AirAsia Philippines reports nearly 3 million guests flown in the first half of 2025, with an 85% load factor.
May 22
Flydubai will resume flights to Damascus starting June 1, becoming the first UAE carrier to restore service to Syria after a 12-year suspension. The daily flights to Damascus International Airport will depart from Terminal 2 at Dubai International. “Damascus holds a special cultural and historical significance within the region, and we are excited to serve the city again with a direct daily service, highlighting our commitment to supporting the United Arab Emirates’ efforts to foster regional connectivity,” CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith says. Damascus was one of flydubai’s first destinations with flights commencing nearly 16 years ago in June 2009.
Aer Lingus will launch its first-ever flights to Cancún, Mexico, beginning January 2026. The new Dublin-Cancún service will operate three times per week using Airbus A330-300 aircraft through April 29. The seasonal route coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Mexico. Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton said the service adds “a vibrant new destination” to the airline’s network, highlighting customer interest in “seasonal destinations beyond the peak summer period.”
Cathay Pacific will resume nonstop flights between Hong Kong and Adelaide on Nov. 11 for the first time since 2019. The 3X-weekly seasonal service brings the airline’s total destinations in the Southwest Pacific to eight. The route will be operated with Airbus A350-900 aircraft. “With our return to Adelaide, we will be operating close to 90 return flights per week to eight destinations in the Southwest Pacific at the peak of this winter season,” says Cathay’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau.
Emirates and Air Mauritius have renewed a longstanding partnership, signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation across codeshare services, frequent flyer programs and cargo operations. The agreement builds on a collaboration that began in 2003 and was last enhanced in 2013. It allows reciprocal codesharing on select routes and includes shared benefits for loyalty program members. Emirates operates 14 flights per week between Dubai and Mauritius using Airbus A380 aircraft.
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com will launch a new route from Birmingham Airport, England, to Samos, Greece, for summer 2026. Weekly Monday flights will operate from May 4 to Oct. 26, offering nearly 10,000 seats and marking the first time the island will be served from Birmingham by the airline. The addition brings the total number of Greek airports served from the base to 15, making Jet2 the largest operator to Greece from Birmingham.
Air France has confirmed plans to operate seasonal service to Malé, the Maldives, during the upcoming winter 2025-26 season. The 2X-weekly flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle will run on Fridays and Sundays between Dec. 19 and Jan. 4, 2026. Flights will be operated using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Allegiant Air is adding five new nonstop routes this fall, connecting eight cities and expanding service in underserved markets. The new routes include South Bend to Fort Lauderdale, starting August 29; Memphis to Knoxville, beginning September 4; Key West to Knoxville, from October 3; Appleton to Gulf Shores, starting October 2; and Des Moines to Gulf Shores, launching October 3. The carrier also is also introducing limited-time flights to Las Vegas tied to NFL fixtures, with weekend trips connecting Chicago, Nashville and Akron.
U.S. carrier Avelo Airlines launched service Thursday at Portland International Jetport with the start of nonstop flights to Tweed-New Haven Airport in Southern Connecticut. The 2X-weekly service operates on Thursdays and Sundays using Boeing 737 aircraft. Avelo is now the only airline offering nonstop flights between Maine and Southern Connecticut.
May 21
Lufthansa Group’s airlines have published their winter 2025-26 schedules, effective Oct. 26. Lufthansa will deploy its new Allegris cabin on routes from Munich to New York, Chicago, Miami, Shanghai, Cape Town, Bengaluru and Tokyo. Swiss will increase Zurich-Krakow flights to 9X-weekly and continue winter services to Košice, Cluj-Napoca and Washington Dulles. Austrian Airlines will launch Innsbruck-Amsterdam flights, switch Milan service from Malpensa to Linate and increase Vienna-Bangkok to 2X-daily. Brussels Airlines plans to grow its African network with more frequencies to Lomé, Dakar, Conakry, Monrovia, Accra and Freetown. Eurowings will launch 3X-weekly nonstop flights from Berlin to Abu Dhabi, while Dubai service from Berlin will be expanded to up to 11 flights per week. Additionally, Eurowings will begin 3X-weekly flights from Hanover to Dubai from Nov. 4, along with a 2X-weekly route connecting Stuttgart and Jeddah. Eurowings is also expanding service to Marsa Alam in Egypt, with new flights from Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin. Meanwhile, Discover Airlines will add Frankfurt–Seychelles and Munich–Punta Cana to its network, along with a new winter route from Frankfurt to Alta in northern Norway.
Indian LCC IndiGo will launch flights between Madurai and Abu Dhabi starting June 13, becoming the 16th Indian city with nonstop service to the UAE capital. The 3X-weekly route follows the announcement of new connections from Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam. The carrier will now operate more than 280 weekly flights to five UAE destinations from 20 Indian cities.
Air France has launched a new service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Operated by an Airbus A350-900, frequencies will initially be 3X-weekly, rising to five flights per week by June 18. Air France says the route strengthens ties between France and Saudi Arabia and supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals to diversify its economy.
Dominican Republic-based Arajet will launch nonstop service between Punta Cana International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport starting Nov. 15. The new route marks the airline’s first in the U.S. midwest destination and its fifth overall in the U.S., alongside Boston, Miami, New York and San Juan. Flights will operate three times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Arajet CEO Victor Pacheco said the expansion supports the airline’s goal of positioning the Dominican Republic as the leading air hub in the Caribbean.
Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, has inaugurated a domestic route to Meemu Muli, marking its first-ever service to the atoll. The inaugural flight coincided with the official opening of Muli Airport. The airline says the 35-min. flight between Malé and Muli will improve regional accessibility and support tourism and economic growth in Meemu Atoll. Flights will operate weekly on Saturdays.
Frontier Airlines has resumed service at Spokane International Airport with the launch of nonstop flights to Denver International Airport, marking its return to the airport after a nearly four-year hiatus. The ULCC will operate the route three times per week.
May 20
TAP Air Portugal has launched its first flights between Lisbon and Los Angeles, becoming the only airline to link the two cities nonstop. The new service operates 3X-weekly—on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays—with a fourth weekly flight added on Saturdays from May 26. Flights are operated by Airbus A330-900 aircraft with 298 seats. TAP now serves eight U.S. gateways from Lisbon, including San Francisco, where a new Azores stopover will be introduced on one weekly flight starting June 3.
WestJet is expanding its Western Canada network this summer with new routes and added capacity from Edmonton International Airport. The airline will resume nonstop service to Kamloops, B.C., and launch a new route to Prince George, B.C., both operated 2X-weekly by WestJet Encore using De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 aircraft starting in early July. WestJet is also increasing capacity on routes to Vancouver Island and the Northwest Territories. Service to Nanaimo, B.C., will now be operated by Boeing 737s, more than doubling seat capacity, while flights to Yellowknife will also use 737s twice a week.
Delta Air Lines has resumed its summer service between New York John F. Kennedy and Shannon Airport, Ireland, offering 52,000 seats through Sept. 20—an increase of 5,600 compared to 2024. The route is operated by a Boeing 767-300ER featuring four cabins. United Airlines has also restarted its nonstop Chicago–Shannon service, with 44,000 seats available until Sept. 24. Together with year-round Aer Lingus and United flights to Boston and New York Newark, Shannon will offer more than 325,000 transatlantic seats this summer.
Batik Air will launch a new direct service between Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and Seoul Incheon on Sept. 12, aiming to boost inbound tourism from South Korea to East Malaysia. The route will operate three times per week. The move positions Kota Kinabalu as a growing gateway for Southeast Asian tourism, with Sabah welcoming nearly 152,000 South Korean visitors from January to September 2024. At the same time, South Korea continues to be one of the top international destinations for Malaysians. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, more than 300,300 Malaysians visited South Korea in 2024.
Finnair has announced a record winter schedule to Finnish Lapland, offering up to 179 flights per week from Helsinki to destinations across the Arctic region—the highest in the airline’s 102-year history. This includes up to 72 flights per week to Rovaniemi, with as many as 16 daily departures on peak Saturdays. The airline is also increasing service to Kittilä, Ivalo and Kuusamo to meet rising demand from travelers seeking Northern Lights, skiing and winter vacations.
May 19
SkyAlps has launched a new scheduled service between Milan Bergamo (BGY) and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking the first connection between the two cities. The route will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, through Oct. 12. “This route not only opens up a new gateway to one of the most historically and culturally significant cities in the Balkans, but also strengthens our position as the leading airport in Northern Italy for connectivity to Southeast Europe,” says Giacomo Cattaneo, director of commercial aviation at SACBO, the operator of BGY.
Uganda Airlines has commenced flights between Entebbe and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). The carrier plans to offer four flights per week between the two destinations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Airbus A330-800 equipment will be deployed on the route, making Uganda Airlines the first carrier to serve LGW using the aircraft type.
Scoot will expand its operations at Sydney Airport (SYD) from October, adding four additional weekly flights from Singapore and bringing its service to double-daily. The extra frequencies will be operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. “Scoot's new services will provide more choice and flexibility for passengers and support the continued growth of tourism, trade and business links between Australia and Singapore,” says SYD’s group executive for aviation growth and group strategy, Greg Botham.
Air Canada has commenced service from Montréal to Naples, becoming the airline’s fourth nonstop connection between Canada and Italy. The route will be operated 4X-weekly using Boeing 787 aircraft. During the summer 2025 season, the carrier will offer 39X-weekly flights and more than 13,000 weekly seats from Canada to Naples, Milan, Rome and Venice.
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