June 2
American Airlines launched daily service between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Lettsome International Airport (EIS) in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). MIA notes the route is the only air connection between the mainland U.S. and EIS. A delegation of BVI officials met with American, among other airlines, at Routes World 2022 in Las Vegas in an effort to secure flights from the U.S. MIA now has connections to 43 Caribbean destinations.
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) CEO Lee Seow Hiang says the airport is “optimistic that passenger traffic can reach pre-COVID levels by 2024.” SIN reports it reached 82% of pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels in March. For the 12 months through March 31 (the airport’s fiscal year), SIN handled 42.6 million passengers, 62% of pre-pandemic traffic levels.
UK regional carrier Loganair and Ireland’s Aer Lingus have signed an interline agreement. Noting it operates to Dublin (DUB) from Scottish cities Aberdeen and Inverness, Loganair says its passengers can connect to Aer Lingus’ transatlantic flights via DUB. Additionally, Aer Lingus passengers can travel from DUB to Aberdeen and Inverness via Loganair. Jonathan Hinkleswhich, CEO of Loganair, says the agreement with Aer Lingus “adds to our ever-increasing portfolio of interline and codeshare agreements.” He adds: “Through our partnership, customers flying to [the U.S.] from Scotland via Dublin can clear [U.S.] customs in Ireland before departure.”
June 1
Air Serbia has launched seasonal service between Belgrade and Heraklion International Airport on the Greek island of Crete. The route will be operated 4X-weekly with an Airbus A320. “Heraklion is the crossroads of three continents and one of the most vibrant places in the Mediterranean—and, as of today, a new destination in our growing network,” says Boško Rupić, Air Serbia's general manager for commercial and strategy.
Ethiopian Airlines is adding a fifth weekly flight to Manchester (MAN), England, from June 5. The carrier uses Airbus A350 aircraft on the Addis Ababa (ADD)-MAN route, which includes a stop in Geneva. The airline operates daily A350 flights between ADD and London Heathrow Airport.
UK regional carrier Loganair will add a third weekly flight between Donegal, Ireland, and Glasgow from July 12. The airline had already planned to commence seasonal 2X-weekly service on the route from July 1, but says strong advance sales have led it to add a third frequency. The airline plans to operate the Donegal-Glasgow route through October.
May 31
TAP Air Portugal has inaugurated a new route linking Porto to Luanda, Angola. The service will operate twice a week using Airbus A330neo aircraft, departing Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro airport on Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. and arriving in Luanda at 9:35 p.m. The return flight departs at 11:20 p.m. and arrives back in Porto at 7:45 a.m. the next day. The Angola service means that TAP now offers four long-haul markets from Porto, flying to Newark, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, alongside Luanda.
Saudi LCC flynas is launching two new routes to Sphinx International Airport in Egypt. Flights from Jeddah will start on June 16 and from Riyadh on July 1. Both routes will initially operate three times per week. “We already connect Egypt to [Saudi Arabia] with more than 100 weekly direct flights, and the operation of direct flights to Sphinx International Airport pushes flynas' expansion plans in the Egyptian market to a new level,” says Bander Almohanna, CEO and managing director of flynas. The carrier currently offers flights to the Egyptian cities of Cairo, Sohag, Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada.
Vietjet is further expanding its footprint in Indonesia with a third nonstop service to the country. From Aug. 5, the LCC will launch daily flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta. “Following our current highly appreciated direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Bali, Vietjet's latest direct service will make traveling among various attractions in both Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta more convenient and affordable than ever before,” Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thanh Son says.
Delta Air Lines has launched daily nonstop service from Atlanta to Edinburgh, complementing the airline’s existing daily flights to the Scottish city from New York John F. Kennedy and Boston. The Atlanta route has not been flown in over a decade. “The ties between our two nations are historic and enduring, and with positive demand for all our Scottish services both from business and leisure customers, we have grown our schedule between Scotland and the U.S. by 90% compared to last year,” says Paul Hassenstab, Delta’s director of sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.
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