Welcome to our rolling daily coverage of new routes alongside services that are scheduled to resume.
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April 29
LCC flydubai is launching flights to Izmir in Turkey starting from June 26. Service from Dubai International (DXB) will be 3X-weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The route increases the airline’s Turkish network to four destinations; alongside Ankara (ESB), Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and Istanbul Airport (IST). Flydubai will also operate summer seasonal routes to Bodrum (BJV) and Trabzon (TZX) from June 23. “During the busy summer period, we will operate 24 flights a week to Turkey, providing passengers with more opportunities to experience different cities in the country whether they are travelling for a city break or beach holiday,” flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said.
Taiwan’s EVA Air is to resume its Taipei ({{TPE})-Bangkok (BKK)-London Heathrow (LHR) service from July. Flights will restart on July 3, operating three times per week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The announcement coincides with Thailand’s decision to allow entry to fully vaccinated international travelers from May 1 without the need for testing. “We would like to thank all our partners for their support and are very much looking forward to welcoming our passengers back to Thailand again,” said Sarah Wu, general manager of EVA Air's London office.
Arabia Abu Dhabi is opening a new service to Bahrain (BAH), starting from May 15. Flights from Abu Dhabi (AUH) will be 3X-weekly on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays using Airbus A320s. Flights will depart AUH at 9.35 a.m. and arrive in BAH at 9.45 a.m. The return service leaves at 10.25 a.m. and arrives back in Abu Dhabi at 12.40 p.m.
April 28
Hungary’s Wizz Air is introducing a new route from Sarajevo (SJJ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Saarbrücken (SCN) in Germany. Flights on this route will start June 14, operating twice a week on Tuesday and Saturday. Passengers from Sarajevo can now travel with Wizz Air to 21 destinations in 11 countries in Europe and the Middle East. “Listening to the wishes and needs of our passengers, we decided to establish a connection with the city of Saarbrücken, ideal for a weekend getaway or visit to relatives and friends,” Wizz Air corporate communications manager Zsuzsa Trubek said. “We believe that this route will open the way for German tourists too to visit the picturesque capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its friendly people with warm hospitality.”
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com has announced its summer 2022 schedule to Almeria (LEI) in Spain. Flights from Birmingham (BHX) will be up to 2X-weekly through Oct. 29, while a new route from Bristol (BRS) will be weekly from June 1 through Oct. 26. Service from Leeds Bradford (LBA) starts on May 7 and will operate weekly, and flights from Manchester (MAN) will be 2X-weekly from April 30 to May 21 and from Sept. 27 to Oct. 29. However, MAN-LEI will operate 3X-weekly from May 24 to Sept. 24.
Western Air, a carrier based in The Bahamas, has announced plans for its maiden scheduled US route. The airline plans to offer flights between Nassau (NAS) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) from May 19. Flights will be daily using Embraer ERJ-145s.
April 27
Thai AirAsia X has confirmed that it will transfer operations from Bangkok’s Don Mueang (DMK) to Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK). The LCC is also planning to resume operations in June with flights from BKK to Seoul (ICN) and Tokyo Narita (NRT). The carrier will operate the 3X-weekly flights to Seoul on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays commencing June 1, while flights to Tokyo Narita will take place four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from June 5.
Turkish Airlines and Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas have announced a codeshare agreement. The partnership will allow Turkish Airlines passengers to connect through Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) to any points in Brazil on GOL’s network. It also covers GOL flights to Asuncion, Santiago, Montevideo and Lima.
Ryanair is adding a new route from Bournemouth (BOH), England, to Malta (MLA). Flights will be 2X-weekly, with Malta becoming the 15th destination served by the ULCC from BOH. “It’s further evidence of our strengthening route network and means we can offer even more choice this Summer,” Bournemouth Airport MD Steve Gill said.
With Eid Al Fitr approaching, Emirates plans to offer more flights across seven cities. The airline is stepping up its schedule by adding 23 flights and layering on additional seats with the deployment of both Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s between April 28 and May 8 to the four cities it serves in Saudi Arabia, as well as to Kuwait, Beirut, and Amman. The additions include two additional flights on May 2 and 8 to serve demand in and out of Riyadh (RUH), while Medina (MED) will be served with four additional flights during this time.
Aer Lingus Regional operator Emerald Airlines has launched flights to Leeds Bradford (LBA). The carrier will serve the UK airport from Belfast City (BHD) and Dublin (DUB) using ATR72-600s. By peak summer 2022, nine major airlines at LBA will service about 64 international scheduled destinations, four domestic scheduled points and three charter/specialist routes.
United Airlines will launch or resume 30 transatlantic flights from mid-April through early June. This includes adding new nonstop flights to five distinctive leisure destinations no other North American airline serves: Routes Europe 2022 host Bergen, Norway; Amman, Jordan; Azores, Portugal; Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands. The carrier said its transatlantic route network will be more than 25% larger than it was in 2019.
April 26
Kenya Airways has extended its codeshare agreement with Saudia. The agreement will allow the SkyTeam alliance partners to offer additional services from their hubs in Nairobi (NBO) and Jeddah (JED). From Nairobi, codeshares will be available to Mombasa, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam and Kigali. From Jeddah, the agreement covers routes to Riyadh, Bahrain, Karachi and Kuwait. “The extension of the codeshare with Saudia will provide our customers with more choice and flexibility for travel this summer, especially for those travelling for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage,” Kenya Airways chief commercial and customer officer Julius Thairu said. “The agreement is an opportunity for both airlines to work together to improve flight options and connectivity.”
Swoop has operated its inaugural flight between Edmonton (YEG) and Ottawa (YOW). The new route will operate 4X-weekly and is one of a number being launched by the Canadian ULCC from Edmonton during the northern summer season. “At a time when the demand for air travel is reaching unprecedented heights, we know these new routes will play an important role in helping Canadians reconnect with friends and family this summer and assist in the recovery of the tourism economy,” Swoop head of commercial and finance Bert van der Stege said.
Fresh from announcing flights to Mumbai, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is launching service to another new destination in India. Flights from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Ahmedabad (AMD), the largest city in the state of Gujrat, will start on May 13. Service will be 2X-weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Ahmedabad becomes the seventh city in India served by the LCC, a joint venture between Air Arabia and Etihad Airways.
April 25
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is introducing a new service to Mumbai (BOM) as it continues to increase its operations to India. Flights from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to BOM will launch on May 12, operating three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Service will be onboard A320s. Mumbai becomes the sixth city in India that Air Arabia Abu Dhabi flies to after Calicut, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi and Trivandrum. The new service represents the 20th route since the launch of the LCC in July 2020.
Jetstar Asia has resumed flights from Singapore (SIN) to Surabaya (SUB) following the relaxation of Indonesian border requirements for international tourists. The airline described Surabaya as a key market in its network for both business and leisure travel. Flights will operate 3X-weekly. “There is significant pent-up demand for services in and out of Indonesia,” Jetstar Asia CEO Bara Pasupathi said. “With major festivals like Hari Raya Puasa and Vesak Day around the corner and the timely removal of the pre-departure tests into Singapore, families and friends in the region have more reasons to reunite and celebrate important occasions with loved ones.”
German leisure carrier Condor is adding routes to Faro and Alicante during the summer 2022 season. Starting July 29, the airline will fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Faro (FAO) on Fridays and Saturdays, and from July 31 to Alicante (ALC) on Wednesdays and Sundays. Airbus A320 aircraft will be used.
Spirit Airlines has launched its first flights to Memphis International (MEM). The ULCC will offer connections to Las Vegas (LAS) and Orlando (MCO), operating daily. Flights to Los Angeles (LAX) will begin in spring 2023. Memphis is now the second Tennessee airport Spirit serves following its Nashville launch in 2019.
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