July 22
US carrier Southwest Airlines is adding two new nonstop routes for the upcoming northern winter season. Starting in January, new seasonal service will launch between Long Beach (LGB) and New Orleans (MSY), and between Austin (AUS) and Montrose (MTJ) in Colorado, the gateway to ski areas in Telluride and Crested Butte. AUS-MTJ starts Jan. 7, 2023, and will be served on Saturdays. LGB-MSY begins the following day and will operate on Sundays.
Japanese LCC Peach will resume flights between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) on Sept. 22. The service was last operated on March 27, 2021. The airline said it plans to offer two round trips per week for the time being. NRT-TPE becomes Peach’s third international route to resume service following the previously announced Osaka Kansai (KIX) services to Seoul Incheon (ICN) and TPE. Since launching the KIX-TPE route in 2012, the carrier has operated a total of 10 routes between Japan and Taiwan and served more than 5 million passengers.
Ryanair is to base a fourth aircraft at Venice Marco Polo (VCE) during the northern winter 2022/23 season. During the period, the ULCC plans to operate 330 weekly flights to 27 destinations, including flying to Birmingham (BHX). Cologne (CGN), Dublin (DUB), Lanzarote (ACE) and Marseille (MRS). Camillo Bozzolo, director of aviation development at SAVE Group, which manages Venice and Treviso (TSF), said: “Ryanair's fourth aircraft arriving at Marco Polo will give a further boost to the resumption of traffic started in the current summer season. The reinforced offer of Venice, together with the Treviso base, demonstrates the continuity of the company's investment in our territory, in favor of both incoming and outgoing tourism.”
July 21
Hong Kong-based startup Greater Bay Airlines will operate its inaugural commercial flight on July 23. The airline’s first route will connect Hong Kong (HKG) with Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) twice a week. Service will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Hong Kong’s Air Transport Licensing Authority in February awarded Greater Bay a five-year permit to operate scheduled commercial flights. The decision covers 104 routes with unlimited frequencies from HKG to destinations in mainland China, Japan, Thailand and South Korea among others.
Canadian carrier Air Transat has added Greece’s Aegean Airlines to its virtual interlining platform, known as connectair by Air Transat. This means that travelers can combine Air Transat and Aegean flights, making it easier to fly to or from 53 destinations in Europe and the Middle East, including Heraklion, Larnaca, Cairo, Mykonos, Thessaloniki and Tel Aviv. Michèle Barre, VP of network, revenue management and pricing at Air Transat said: “This collaboration not only improves connectivity between Canada and two high-demand markets – Europe and the Middle East – but also simplifies the travel experience for our customers.” Aegean becomes the ninth partner for connectair by Air Transat.
July 20
Jetstar has resumed flights between Australia and Japan after nearly two and a half years. The airline will operate up to five return flights per week between Cairns (CNS) and Tokyo Narita (NRT)). “Australia has always been a popular destination for Japanese travellers, and we’re excited to be able to reconnect the two countries, providing a significant tourism boost to the local Cairns community and Queensland more broadly,” Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans said. Jetstar will also resume services between Cairns and Osaka Kansai (KIX) on July 26.
Frontier Airlines is launching a new daily nonstop service from Denver (DEN) to Houston’s William P. Hobby (HOU). Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial, Frontier Airlines, said: “There is strong consumer demand for flights between these two destinations.” Service starts Sept. 7.
Air France plans to start a new route to Kittilä (KTT) in Finland from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) from Dec. 10. Flights will be on Thursdays using Airbus A320s. On the same day, the carrier will begin flying from CDG to Tromsø (TOS) in Norway. The route will be served on Thursdays onboard A319s. The SkyTeam member is also expanding its flying program to Rovaniemi (RVN), the capital of Lapland in northern Finland, with up to 1X-daily flight during the Christmas and New Year period. Flights to this destination will resume on Nov. 27. Other plans for the winter 2022/23 season include operating a route between Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP) in Guadeloupe and Montreal (YUL) in Canada for a second consecutive winter season. Two weekly flights will be offered operated by A320s.
Mexican ULCC Viva Aerobus has inaugurated regular flights between Monterrey (MTY) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD)—a route which previously just operated during the winter season. The destinations will be served three times per week using A321s.
July 19
All Nippon Airways (ANA) will resume flights from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Beijing Capital (PEK) from Aug. 1, operating once a week on Mondays. The airline resumed a one-way Beijing to Tokyo service on July 11 after a suspension of more than two years. In addition, ANA will increase flights departing Beijing bound for Narita to 2X-weekly from Aug. 18. Daily service between Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Seoul Incheon (INC) is also being restored from Aug. 1.
Saudi Arabia’s flynas has announced the launch of its first direct flights between Riyadh (RUH) and Podgorica (TGD), the capital of Montenegro, starting on July 28. The LCC will serve the route once a week on Thursdays.
Wingo has been authorized to operate routes from seven points in Colombia to Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE). The LCC has been cleared to operate 7X-weekly services to Argentina’s capital from Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Cali, Medellin, Pereira and San Andres.
KLM and Thalys has launched a previously announced partnership that will see the Dutch airline buying seats aboard the Thalys high-speed train for transfer passengers travelling between Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Brussels (BRU). This will allow KLM to operate one less flight between Amsterdam and Brussels every day. The aim of the venture is to increase the number of transfer passengers travelling by rail between the destinations.
July 18
Delta Air Lines is to operate a New York John F Kennedy (JFK)-Berlin (BER) service during the summer 2023 season. Flights will start on May 25, operating daily using Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The US carrier last served Berlin in October 2019 when it offered flights to Berlin Tegel from JFK. Delta becomes the second carrier to confirm New York-Berlin flights in as many months after startup Norse Atlantic Airways announced in June plans to enter the market from August.
Dusseldorf (DUS) will become the fourth German destination served by Qatar Airways. The airline plans to launch a route from Doha (DOH) starting on Nov. 15. Flights will be daily. “Düsseldorf, the gateway to the Ruhr region, enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the world's most liveable cities,” Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said. “The city is located close to Belgium and the Netherlands and is known worldwide as an international business and trade center with famous fashion and trade fairs.”
South Korea’s Air Premia has started serving Seoul Incheon (ICN)-Singapore (SIN). Flights will initially be three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with a Monday flight starting from July 25. The route departs ICN at 8.40 p.m. and arrives in SIN at 2 a.m. the following day. The return service leaves at 3.20 a.m. and arrives back in Seoul at 10.40 a.m.
Starting from Nov. 1, Corendon Airlines plans to launch flights to Ras Al Khaimah (RKT). The airline intends to serve the destination seven times per week, offering routes from Frankfurt (FRA), Dusseldorf (DUS) and Munich (MUC). “With holidaymakers increasingly looking for spacious, less congested destinations, suited for families, couples and even solo travelers, Ras Al Khaimah is a natural fit among German travellers, especially in the winter,” Corendon Airlines CEO Yildiray Karaer said.
Mexico’s Viva Aerobus has inaugurated its new route from Mexico City’s Felipe Ángeles International (NLU) to Cancun (CUN). Service on the sector will be offered daily.
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