Welcome to our rolling daily coverage of new routes alongside services that are scheduled to resume.
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Feb. 11
Azores Airlines and Transavia have announced a new virtual interlining agreement for flights to the Azores. In addition to Transavia’s Amsterdam-Ponta Delgada (PDL) route this summer, the airline’s passengers will be able to connect to Azores Airlines flights to the Azores via Porto (OPO), Lisbon (LIS) and Funchal (FNC). Azores Airlines passengers can do the same by using Transavia flights to Europe. The two carriers will work with Dohop, which specializes in virtual interlining technology.
Feb. 10
Italian airline Neos has announced a feeder agreement with the country’s new flag-carrier ITA Airways. The carriers said the deal would expand the number of connections from regional airports, particularly in southern Italy. The first phase of the agreement will see ITA provide feed for Neos’ routes from Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to Dubai (DXB), La Romana (LRM) in the Dominican Republic, and Male (MLE) in the Maldives.
Egyptair is adding a new route to Kinshasa (FIH), the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Service from Cairo (CAI) starts on March 27, operating three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights will be onboard Boeing 737-800s. Egyptair chairman and CEO Amr Abu El-Enein said the carrier has ambitious plans to expand its route network in line with “the state’s directions and interest in supporting cooperation with African countries.”
Scottish carrier Loganair is adding a route to Oslo (OSL) from Aberdeen (ABZ). commencing from June 13, the destinations will be served up to six times per week using 49-seat Embraer 145s. “It’s an important and long-standing route at Aberdeen, and one which we’re pleased to step into following the cutbacks which other airlines have understandably made during the pandemic,” Loganair CEO Jonathan Hinkles said.
Aer Lingus has announced that it will be restarting its direct service from Dublin (DUB) to Miami (MIA) from Oct. 21. Flights will initially be 2X-weekly, before increasing to 3X-weekly from Oct. 29. “The removal of testing requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals into the UK is welcome news for customers and will help rebuild consumer confidence in travel in 2022,” the airline said in a statement. Aer Lingus provides 14 direct routes between Ireland and North America.
Dublin Airport is also set to receive additional connectivity from Qatar Airways. The oneworld alliance member is increasing service to the Irish city from seven flights per week to 10X-weekly from March 27. “Demand for flights and international travel is returning at pace, and we are absolutely thrilled to be able to offer our passengers flying from Dublin more choice about how and when they fly,” Gary Kershaw, Qatar Airways country manager for UK and Ireland said.
After a two-year pause because of the pandemic, Austrian Airlines is returning to Göteborg Landvetter (GOT) in March. The carrier will connect the Swedish city with Vienna (VIE) three times per week from March 27. Airport operator Swedavia said the route is in demand from both leisure and business travelers and there is an even distribution between Swedish and Austrian passengers. Austrian’s flights will be on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Embraer 195s.
Feb. 9
Greece’s SKY express has joined the Worldwide by easyJet connection service. The move means that easyJet passengers will be able to connect via Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Zakynthos, Preveza, Kefalonia, Rhodes, Larnaca, Chania, Heraklion and Thessaloniki to more than 20 destinations in SKY express’ network. “This cooperation is of strategic importance for us because its main goal is to offer our passengers more options, but also to strengthen the potential of our country as a dynamic travel destination,” SKY express commercial director Yiannis Lidakis said.
Ukrainian carrier Bees Airline has announced the launch of flights between Kyiv Zhuliany (IEV) and Ganja (GNJ) in Azerbaijan. The route will begin on March 25, operating once a week on Fridays. An additional frequency on Mondays will start on June 1.
Blue Air is responding to “strong demand” for flights to Greece this summer by adding two new routes from Romania’s capital Bucharest (OTP). The ULCC plans to serve Lefkada (PVK) and Kefalonia (EFL), increasing its network to 17 routes between Romania and Greece. Flights to both Lefkada and routes will start on June 25 and be served once a week on Saturdays.
Feb. 8
Qantas is adding Broken Hill (BHQ) to its domestic route network for the first time, with the airline to begin direct flights from Sydney (SYD). From April 8, the carrier will operate 2X-weekly return flights between Sydney and Broken Hill with its 50-seat Q300 aircraft. QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the service would create stronger connections for the far west of New South Wales for both business and leisure travelers. “This new route will make it easier for travelers to experience Broken Hill’s rich history, growing cultural scene and spectacular natural surrounds,” he added. Regional Express has been the sole operator of flights to and from Broken Hill since 2004.
Nigeria’s Air Peace is adding service between Lagos (LOS) and Dubai (DXB). Flights will run from March 1, operating three times per week using Boeing 777s. Emirates is the only other provider of nonstop Lagos-Dubai flights, serving the route daily.
Dubai-based Emirates has increased London Gatwick (LGW) service to double-daily in response to strong demand. Flight EK09 will land at Gatwick at 6.25 p.m. today and return flight EK010 will depart at 8.25 p.m., arriving in Dubai (DXB) tomorrow at 7.20 a.m. This service joins the existing flight EK015. The introduction of the second daily Gatwick service takes Emirates’ total UK weekly flights to 91. “We have seen a considerable uptick in demand for international travel in recent weeks, particularly from the South East,” said Richard Jewsbury, divisional VP at Emirates UK.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has launched flights to Yerevan (EVN) in Armenia. The service from Abu Dhabi (AUH) will be offered twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.
Feb. 7
South Korea’s Air Busan has revived plans to launch service to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) in Vietnam. The airline originally announced its intention to serve the city from Busan (PUS) in February 2020, with flights slated to start in April. However, operations were postponed because of the pandemic. Schedules filed with OAG show that the carrier will serve PUS-SGN once a week on Mondays from March 27. Flights will be onboard Airbus A321s.
Norse Atlantic Airways has announced plans to launch ticket sales by the end of March as it looks to operate its maiden transatlantic flight from Oslo (OSL) during the second quarter. As previously reported by Routes, the carrier’s initial destinations are expected to include Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New York Stewart (SWF) and Ontario (ONT). “We are working on finalizing our route network and look forward to announcing our destinations when we open for sale,” CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen said.
Hungary’s Wizz Air has launched its first flights between Krakow (KRK) in Poland and Dubai International (DXB). The route, which began on Feb. 4, will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays using A321neos. Radosław Włoszek, president of the management board of Kraków Airport, said the service would help to “rebuild the tourist potential” of the region.
Turkish carrier AnadoluJet is adding a new route to Iraq. The carrier will connect Adana (ADA) in southern Turkey with Erbil (EBL) twice a week from March 17. Flights will initially be on Thursdays and Sundays, before switching to Tuesdays and Fridays from March 29.
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