Welcome to our rolling daily coverage of new routes alongside services that are scheduled to resume.
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June 16
Etihad Airways has launched summer seasonal routes connecting Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Nice (NCE), Heraklion (HER), and Malaga (AGP). All three services are set to be operated 2X-weekly. Effective June 17, the carrier will also operate 3X-weekly Abu Dhabi-Santorini (JTR) and Abu Dhabi-Zanzibar (ZNZ) services.
Australia’s Rex has announced plans to increase capacity on 11 regional routes. The increases are on routes from Sydney (SYD) to Albury (ABX), Broken Hill (BHQ), Coffs Harbour (CFS), Dubbo (DBO), Orange (OAG), Griffith (GFF), Merimbula/Moruya (MIM), Port Macquarie (PQQ), and Wagga Wagga (WGA). From Melbourne (MEL) Rex is expanding frequencies to Mildura (MQL), while Adelaide (ADL)-Port Lincoln (PLO) is also increasing. However, Sydney-Cooma (OOM) will end on June 27. General manager of network strategy Warrick Lodge said: “Rex sees strong recovery in these regional centres and is dedicating considerable resources to meet this demand. These improved schedules will see us operating more flights on our regional network than pre-COVID and mark a significant turning point for the airline as we return to profitability.”
Eurowings Discover has launched its first flights to Halifax Stanfield (YHZ) in Canada. Flights from Frankfurt (FRA) will be 2X-weekly using A330-300s. “The addition of Halifax as the fifth Canadian gateway for the Lufthansa Group certainly solidifies Canada as a key pillar of our transatlantic routes and relationships with North America,” said Brendan Shashoua, head of sales in Canada at Lufthansa Group.
US leisure airline Sun Country Airlines has opened a seasonal service to Vancouver (YVR). The route from its Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) base will be 2X-weekly through Sept. 3 using Boeing 737-800s. “Vancouver is Sun Country’s first scheduled service to a Canadian destination,” said Grant Whitney, chief revenue officer at Sun Country. “We are excited to offer Minnesotans the opportunity to visit British Columbia and expand our service to the Pacific Northwest.”
June 14
AirAsia Philippines is resuming flights from Manila (MNL) to Seoul Incheon (ICN) from June 14. Service will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights depart at 5.35 p.m. from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International and will arrive in Seoul at 10.40 p.m. “In 2022, we are aggressive in growing our flight frequency and route network. We are at 80% of our pre-COVID frequency levels this Q2 and we expect to recover fully by Q4,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.
Canadian ULCC Swoop has launched its inaugural flight to St. John's International (YYT) from Hamilton's John C. Munro International (YHM). The route will be served daily. The airline said the launch of flights to St. John's reinforces its commitment to travel and tourism in Atlantic Canada. Earlier this summer, Swoop introduced nonstop connectivity between Deer Lake (YDF) and Hamilton, and on June 20 will add nonstop service from Deer Lake to Toronto Pearson (YYZ).
Oman Air is boosting frequency to eight Indian destinations in response to rising demand. Flights from Muscat (MCT) to Bangalore (BLR), Chennai (MAA)., Delhi (DEL), Hyderabad (HYD), Kochi (COK), Kozhikode (CCJ) and Mumbai (BOM) will each become daily, while Goa (GOI) increases to 3X-weekly.
Air Algérie’s flights from Algiers (ALG) and Oran (ORN) to Montpellier (MPL) will resume later this month after a hiatus of more than two years. Both routes will be served twice a week. OAG data shows that Transavia.com France currently served ALG-MPL 2X-weekly and will enter the ORN-MPL market in August, with one flight per week.
Cebu Pacific is expanding its Manila-Dubai (DXB) route to 10X-weekly from July 2. The three additional weekly services will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing Manila at 10.20 p.m. and arriving in Dubai at 3.25 a.m. This is on top of the daily service that departs Manila at 7.20 a.m. and arrives in Dubai at 12.45 p.m.
Algerian carrier Tassili Airlines will restart its international network on June 27 following more than two years of suspensions. The carrier intends to fly 3X-weekly from Algiers to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Strasbourg (SXB), and 2X-weekly from Algiers to Nantes (NTE). Weekly flights will also be offered to Strasbourg from both Oran and Constantine (CZL).
June 13
GOL Linhas Aéreas has resumed flights to Mendoza (MDZ) in Argentina. The Brazilian airline will have three weekly operations from Sao Paulo (GRU) using Boeing 737-800s and 737-8s. Service to Mendoza was suspended at the onset of the pandemic.
Italy’s ITA Airways has announced a new codeshare agreement with Brazilian carrier Azul. The partnership came into effect from June 10. Under the terms of the agreement, ITA will place its code AZ on domestic flights operated by Azul from São Paulo (GRU) to eight points: Belém, Cuiabá, Santos Dumont, Porto Alegre, Recife, Juazeiro do Norte, Confins and Curitiba.
Jetstar Asia is increasing frequencies from Singapore (SIN) to Bangkok (BKK) to daily from July 1, up from 2X-weekly at present. Service from SIN to Denpasar (DPS) will also rise from five to seven flights per week. “Demand for services to key Southeast Asian destinations is picking up and we’re responding by increasing our services and expanding our network to meet this pent-up demand,” CEO Bara Pasupathi said.
US carrier aha! is launching nonstop flights between Reno (RNO) and Idaho Falls (IDA) from Aug. 11. The route will operate on Thursdays and Sundays using 50-seat Embraer ERJ145 jets.
LATAM Airlines Group is restarting service to Mount Pleasant (MPN) in the Falkland Islands. Flights from Punta Arenas (PUQ) in Chile will be twice a week from July 2 onboard Airbus A320s, operating via Río Gallegos (RGL) in Argentina. The route launched in 1999 but has been suspended since March 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis.
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