Sept. 2
LCC easyJet will start flying from Copenhagen (CPH) to Bordeaux (BOD) on Nov. 10 with two weekly departures on Thursdays and Sundays. An A319 aircraft will be deployed on the route with space for 156 passengers.
Emirates is returning to its pre-pandemic flight schedule from Manchester Airport (MAN) in the UK. From Oct. 1, the airline will restart its 3X-daily service from Dubai (DXB), adding a daily Boeing 777 flight to its existing twice daily Airbus A380 operations. From Oct. 30, this schedule will be further upgraded with a third daily A380 service. Emirates has also resumed a double-daily connection to Dublin (DUB) in Ireland, up from 1X-daily. The DXB-DUB sector will operate using 777-300ERs. Elsewhere, Emirates will also reinstate some flights to Nigeria. The airline previously announced plans to suspend its 11X-weekly Lagos (LOS) and 5X-weekly Abuja (ABV) routes from Sept. 1, citing an inability to repatriate funds from the West African country. However, the Central Bank of Nigeria has since released $265 million of the blocked funds. DXB-LOS will resume on Sept. 11, operating 4X-weekly, but service to ABV remains on hold for now.
United Airlines has launched a new route connecting Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Saipan (SPN), the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the US in the western Pacific Ocean. Flights will be three times per week using 737-800s.
Vietnam’s Vietjet has resumed the service between Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Chiang Mai (CNX) in Thailand, the host destination for Routes Asia 2023. Service will be 3X-weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with a flight time of around two hours. “The nonstop flights are to serve the increasing travel demand for leisure and pilgrimage during the year end season while promoting trade between the two countries and regionally,” VietJet VP Nguyen Thanh Son said.
Sept. 1
AirAsia Philippines is increasing service on four international routes from Manila (MNL). The LCC plans to expand Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Denpasar (DPS), Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and Kuala Lumpur (KUL) from 3X-weekly to 7X-weekly by Sept. 17. “Our additional flight frequencies and promos are strategically put in place to help achieve our pre-pandemic figure of more than 2.6 million international seats sold,” AirAsia head of communications and public affairs Steve Dailisan said. “Additional flights and exciting deals are also our way of boosting international tourist arrivals in the Philippines and other Asian countries we fly to, especially now that we have been observing an improved fuel pricing situation.”
JetSMART is to launch a new route connecting Argentina and Brazil. Flights from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão (GIG) will start on Dec. 6, operating three times per week using Airbus A320s. Service will be on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Data provided by OAG shows JetSMART offers two international routes from EZE—to Lima (LIM) and Santiago (SCL)—but service to Asuncion (ASU) will also start in November. In addition to the EZE-GIG route, the LCC will launch flights from Santiago to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão on Dec. 29. Five flights per week will be offered using A320s.
Emirates is celebrating 15 years flying to Newcastle International (NCL) in the UK on Sept. 1. The airline has carried more than 2.5 million passengers between Newcastle and Dubai (SXB) since the route was launched in 2007. Flights are currently 5X-weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, departing Newcastle at 9.10 p.m. and arriving in Dubai at 7.25 a.m. the following day. However, from late October Emirates will move to an earlier departure time of 1 p.m. from NCL, arriving in Dubai at 12.15 a.m. the next day. Separately, Emirates has announced that its newly retrofitted Airbus A380s with premium economy cabins will debut in five more cities from December. New York John F Kennedy (JFK) will receive the newly retrofitted A380s on Dec. 1; Auckland (AKL) on Jan. 15, 2023; Melbourne (MEL) from Feb. 1; San Francisco (SFO) from Feb. 15; and Singapore (SIN) on March 1.
Aug. 31
Latvia’s airBaltic has published its flight schedule for the upcoming winter season and plans to connect Riga (RIX) to almost 50 destinations across its network. The program includes the carrier’s first flights to Africa with a route to Marrakesh (RAK) in Morocco, as well as a second route to the Canary Islands. Flights to Marrakesh and Gran Canaria (LPA) start on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 respectively and will be operated until March 24, 2023. During the upcoming winter season, airBaltic will also offer seasonal flights to skiing resorts of Salzburg and Verona, as well as 4X-weekly flights to Dubai (DXB) and 6X-weekly flights to Tenerife (TFS). However, routes from RIX to Bergen (BGO) and Manchester (MAN) will be suspended.
US carrier Contour Airlines has been selected to provide essential air services (EAS) at Barkley Regional Airport (PAH) in Kentucky. The contract will start on Dec. 6 and run for three years. Contour will offer a 12X-weekly Charlotte (CLT) service using Embraer ERJ135 aircraft. “Not only does Contour offer a great passenger experience, but the flights to Charlotte will help our passengers from across the region reach their most desired destinations according to our catchment study, with improved connecting service to the northeast and southern destinations,” said Dennis Rouleau, executive director of the Barkley Regional Airport. Previously, the airport had an EAS contract with SkyWest, but the carrier terminated the agreement earlier this year due to pilot shortages.
Wizz Air will restart a route from London Luton (LTN) to Athens (ATH). Flights will recommence on Oct. 30, operating daily. OAG data shows that the ULCC last served the route in March 2022.
South African carrier Airlink has launched Cape Town’s first scheduled service to Mozambique in more than eight years. Flights between Cape Town (CPT) and Mozambique’s capital Maputo (MPM) started on Aug. 31. The route will operate 3X-weekly using ERJ135 aircraft. “By flying direct rather than through Johannesburg, we will more than reduce the door-to-door travel time, giving our customers more time to do business and take advantage of the wide range of activities, attractions, food, and culture that Maputo has to offer,” said Rodger Foster, CEO and MD of Airlink.
Aug. 30
UK regional carrier Loganair will suspend operations at Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY) this winter. Daily services to Manchester (MAN) and onward to Aberdeen (ABZ), together with non-stop flights to Edinburgh (EDI) and Newcastle (NCL), will be completely suspended between November 2022 and March 2023. In all, almost 300 flights scheduled to Newquay over the coming winter season have been withdrawn from the airline’s schedule. Summer routes linking Newquay with Teesside (MME) and onward to Inverness (INV) will not return in 2023, and planned growth on other routes is to be redirected to other UK airports. A spokesperson for Loganair said the carrier has worked hard to build its presence at NQY but blamed the airport’s management team for incentivizing “unsustainable operations by other airlines.”
Alaska Airlines plans to launch daily nonstop service between Everett (PAE) and Anchorage (ANC) on Nov. 30. Flights will be year-round onboard Embraer 175 aircraft, operated by sister airline Horizon Air. “There's a significant need and demand to connect workers and businesses in the two regions–from the fishing industry to aviation—in addition to the desire for leisure travel,” said Brett Catlin, VP of network and alliances for Alaska Airlines. Everett is located about 47 km (29 mi.) north of Seattle.
Malaysia Airlines has introduced a new direct flight between Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and Singapore (SIN). Flights will be 3X-weekly on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing from BKI at 7.00 a.m. and returning from SIN at 10 a.m. The route will be operated by Boeing 737-800 aircraft, equipped with 160 seats. “This will further boost connectivity and flexibility for passengers bound to Singapore, as the airline also offers direct flights to the country via our main hub of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Kuching,” Malaysia Aviation Group CEO Izham Ismail said.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) is resuming three routes to North America, as well as increasing frequencies on three more. From Oct. 30, flights will restart from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Houston (IAH) and Washington Dulles (IAD). In addition, service from Haneda to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) will be expanded, alongside from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Seattle (SEA). Elsewhere, Haneda-Kuala Lumpur (KUL) will resume with 3X-weekly flights, and Haneda-Jakarta (CGK) will be expanded from 4X to 7X-weekly. “ANA will continue to monitor travel viability and quarantine requirements as well as demand trends for return trips to home countries and overseas assignments, and will continue to add flights in case of further increase in demand,” ANA said in a statement.
South Korea’s Air Premia has scheduled the launch of its first US route. The carrier intends to start flying between Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Los Angeles (LAX) on Oct. 5, operating 3X-weekly. Flights will use 787-9 aircraft and increase to 5X-weekly from Oct. 21.
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