July 7
Canadian ULCC Lynx Air is expanding service to its U.S. network this fall, with the addition of routes from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Los Angeles International (LAX) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), as well as from Montréal Pierre Trudeau International (YUL) to Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS). YYZ-LAX starts Aug. 24 and will be served four times per week; YYZ-PHX begins on Oct. 12 and will be 3X-weekly; and YUL-LAS commences Aug. 31 and will be 4X-weekly. Lynx launched operations to the U.S. earlier this year and already offers routes from Calgary to Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas, and from Toronto to Orlando. With the addition of these new markets, the airline will be offering 98 flights per week in and out of the U.S., which equates to more than 18,000 seats.
Canada Jetlines has signed a six-month contract with FlyAllways, a Caribbean airline based in Suriname, where FlyAllways will charter Canada Jetlines to provide weekly flights between Toronto and Georgetown, Guyana. Commencement of flying is expected to start in the third quarter of 2023, subject to Guyanese government approval. “We know that there is a substantial demand for the Toronto-Georgetown market, and we believe FlyAllways, and the Canadian tour operator that they have partnered with, will be successful with the introduction of this route,” says Eddy Doyle, president and CEO Canada Jetlines.
UK carrier easyJet has announced more additions to its northern winter schedule. Service from Edinburgh and London Luton to Rovaniemi, the gateway to Finnish Lapland, will start on Dec. 3 and Dec. 9 respectively, operating twice a week. Also commencing are four new routes from the UK to Hurghada, Egypt. The Egyptian leisure resort will be served 2X-weekly from Liverpool starting Oct. 29; 1X-weekly from Belfast International from Oct. 21; 2X-weekly from Edinburgh from Nov. 6; and 2X-weekly from Glasgow from Nov. 8. Additional winter city routes from Liverpool to Lyon and London Southend to Geneva have also gone on sale.
Xiamen Airlines has launched a new nonstop service from Xiamen to Paris Charles de Gaulle, the 12th intercontinental service offered by the airline and the first European new route since the pandemic. Operations will be once a week. The carrier initially launched service to Paris in December 2018, flying three times per week from its base in Fuzhou. However, regular operations were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in the city’s absence from Xiamen Airlines’ network ever since.
Airlink will launch flights from South Africa to Malawi in September, making it the 16th country in the carrier’s network. From Sept. 4, the airline will introduce flights from Johannesburg to Lilongwe, while service between Johannesburg and Blantyre starts the following day. Both routes will operate three times per week using 37-seat Embraer ERJ135 aircraft. “In addition to supporting the revitalization of tourism, Airlink’s new routes will play a key role in the current Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, which aims to diversify the economy and build a wealthy, self-reliant and industrialized middle-income country,” says Airlink CEO and managing director Rodger Foster.
July 6
EasyJet is relaunching flights from London Southend to Geneva Airport—a route that the LCC last operated in 2020. Flights will operate from Dec. 16 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Geneva will be the sixth destination easyJet now serves from London Southend, alongside Amsterdam, Faro, Majorca, Malaga and Paris. EasyJet previously flew from London Southend to Geneva between 2013 and 2020 and served more than 570,000 passengers during that period.
LATAM Airlines Group has launched daily flights connecting Bogota’s El Dorado Airport (BOG) and Orlando, Florida. Flights depart BOG at 10:15 a.m. and arrive in Orlando at 3:25 p.m. The return service leaves at 4:57 p.m. and arrives back in Colombia’s capital at 8:10 p.m. The airline will deploy Airbus A320s on the route. "The U.S. is one of the most relevant international destinations for Colombian passengers, and as such, this new service aligns with the strategy of delivering more direct connectivity for our customers,” says Camilo Prieto, commercial manager of LATAM Airlines Colombia.
Qatar Airways has returned to Birmingham Airport, England, for the first time in three years. “As our fifth UK gateway, our return to Birmingham signals Qatar Airways’ strong commitment to the UK and reaffirms the positive relationship between the UK and Qatar,” Qatar Airways UK and Ireland Country Manager Gary Kershaw says. Frequencies from Doha will be daily throughout the summer using Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
Indian LCC IndiGo has commenced a new domestic service between New Delhi and Kanpur. Flights will be daily. “We are confident that this direct connection with Delhi will benefit not only those in the textile or other industries, but also promote tourism and mobility to the people in nearby districts,” Head of Global Sales Vinay Malhotra says.
Emirates has commenced flights to Montreal, marking the start of its scheduled services to its second gateway in Canada. The route from Dubai will be offered daily using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. “Since we announced our plans to launch direct services to Montreal, we have witnessed healthy bookings from travellers planning trips to Canada from points in the UAE, India, Iran and Lebanon in addition to many Far East and African countries,” Emirates CCO Adnan Kazim says.
July 5
Canada’s WestJet is adding the island of Bonaire to its network of Caribbean destinations with a nonstop seasonal service from Toronto. Starting Dec. 12, the airline will offer one flight per week between Toronto Pearson International Airport and the Dutch Caribbean island’s Flamingo International Airport. Miles Mercera, CEO at Tourism Corporation Bonaire, says: “Canada continues to be a vital connection for Bonaire, with Canada ranking among our top 10 performing markets. This historic new connectivity helps answer the demand of tourism interest in the island, which we expect to only increase during the colder months.”
Turkey’s AnadoluJet is launching a route between Ankara and London Stansted from July 16. Flights will be offered three times per week until Sept. 15, when frequencies will reduce to 2X-weekly. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows Pegasus Airlines also serves Ankara-London Stansted at present, flying 3X-weekly using Airbus A320s.
Vietjet plans to increase the frequency of flights to and from Australia later this year. From Dec. 1, service between Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) and Melbourne will rise from 3X-weekly to daily, while SGN-Sydney also grows from 3X-weekly to daily from Dec. 5. Additionally, SGN-Brisbane will increase from 2X-weekly to 3X-weekly starting Dec. 6. Vietjet launched Airbus A330 flights from SGN to both Sydney and Melbourne in April, marking its debut in Australia. The route to Brisbane started in June.
July 4
Air Astana has opened ticket sales for a new route from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will commence on Oct. 1. Services will initially operate on Wednesdays and Sundays, with an additional frequency to be introduced at a later date. “Saudi Arabia has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which will be interesting not only for the pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, but also for tourists looking to visit cultural, historical and natural sites on the Red Sea,” says Adel Dauletbek, vice president for marketing and sales at Air Astana. “Passengers traveling to Jeddah are offered convenient connections from other cities in Kazakhstan, as well as from Tashkent, Dushanbe and Bishkek.”
Jetstar will start direct flights between Melbourne, Australia, and Fiji for the first time from Dec. 16. Service to Nadi, Fiji's main island, will be three times per week using Airbus A321LR aircraft. “Since relaunching our Sydney to Fiji services, we’ve seen strong demand from Melbourne travellers, and from December they will be able to fly direct,” Jetstar Chief Customer Officer Alan McIntyre says. “Fiji is a hugely popular destination for Australians, and with interest continuing to grow, we’re offering more than 70,000 seats each year between Melbourne and Fiji.” Additionally, the Australian LCC plans to deploy A321LRs on the Sydney-Nadi route from Oct. 29, increasing capacity by 46 seats per flight, compared to the existing A320s used on the route.
Australia’s National Jet Express (NJE) has launched operations from Queensland for the first time. The Rex Group company now connects Brisbane and Moranbah using Dash 8-Q400NGs. It comes after NJE was successful in winning a contract to provide air services for mining business BHP Mitsubishi Alliance. The service takes NJE's charter, fly-in fly-out and freight network to 37 destinations. In a statement, the carrier says it is also looking at other opportunities in Queensland and considering introducing Embraer E190 jets, of which the airline has a fleet operating on Australia’s west coast.
July 3
Mexican ULCC Volaris has announced plans to launch a daily Guadalajara-Villahermosa service on Sept. 22 and a daily Monterrey-Mexicali route on Oct. 1. “We are very happy to announce two new routes, in addition to the 40 that we announced a few weeks ago and with which we want to increase connectivity in two of our most important hubs, Guadalajara and Monterrey, with cities that have the potential to further consolidate our presence throughout the country,” Volaris Commercial Director Omar Carrera says.
Hong Kong Airlines has resumed flights to Sanya Phoenix International Airport, China, coinciding with the relaunch of the airport’s international terminal. Service from Hong Kong International will be daily using Airbus A330s. “Hong Kong Airlines is proud to be the first airline to operate in the newly expanded and modernised international terminal of Phoenix Airport,” Chairman Hou Wei says. “Since our inaugural service to Sanya in 2007, this city has been one of our key destinations.”
Caribbean Airlines is expanding its operations in the eastern Caribbean. Starting July 24, the airline will add new nonstop services between Barbados and St. Vincent, as well as Barbados and St. Lucia. Barbados-St. Vincent will become 7X-weekly, while Barbados-St. Lucia will be served 4X-weekly. Additionally, a St. Lucia-St. Vincent route is being added, operating on Thursdays. From Aug. 23, Caribbean Airlines says it also plans to increase service between Trinidad, Dominica and Antigua on Wednesdays and Sundays, and offer additional flights from Trinidad to St. Vincent and Grenada. “There continues to be a call for increased frequency and capacity between Caribbean destinations, and by adjusting our strategies and route network to connect these destinations, we can provide more sustainable travel options for our customers,” CEO Garvin Medera adds. Caribbean Airlines will use its fleet of nine ATR-72s on these routes.
Saudi Arabian flag-carrier Saudia has launched a new route to Birmingham, England. The Jeddah-Birmingham route will operate three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays using Boeing 787s. “The UK is a very important destination for Saudia, and the launch of new direct flights to and from Birmingham highlights the strengthening of relations between our two countries,” says Manal Alshehri, vice president for passenger sales at Saudia. Meanwhile, Emirates has resumed Airbus A380 flights to Birmingham. The 615-seat aircraft, absent since March 2020, brings extra capacity for business and leisure customers on the Dubai-Birmingham service.
Vietjet has resumed routes linking Vietnamese leisure destinations Phu Quoc and Da Nang with Hong Kong. Phu Quoc-Hong Kong will be offered 3X-weekly, and Da Nang-Hong Kong will operate four times per week.
Los Angeles and San Francisco have become the fifth and sixth destinations to the U.S. from Norse Atlantic Airways’ London Gatwick base. Service to Los Angeles International will operate daily, while flights to San Francisco International will be offered three times per week. “With the addition of these two destinations, Norse Atlantic is now the largest long-haul operator to the U.S. from London Gatwick,” Norse CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen says.
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