Routes In Brief: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Oct. 23, 2023)

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.

Oct. 27

Saudi LCC flynas is opening a new route to Bahrain (BAH) from Nov. 15. Nonstop flights from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) will be offered seven times per week. The route follows a recent memorandum of understanding signed between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to promote the two kingdoms regionally and internationally. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, Gulf Air and Saudia operate flights between RUH and BAH. Additionally, Lufthansa offers a daily Frankfurt-Riyadh-Bahrain routing.

JetBlue Airways is to suspend flights between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) in January, marking the carrier’s exit from the Vermont airport. The 2X-daily service between the destinations is set to end on Jan. 3, 2024. BTV will maintain connections to New York through Delta Air Lines’ flights to both JFK and LaGuardia International Airport and United Airlines’ flights to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Frontier Airlines expects to grow fourth-quarter capacity by 12%-14% compared with the same period in 2022, although President and CEO Barry Biffle has admitted that some of the ULCC’s main markets are “oversaturated.” Speaking on an earnings call following the publication of Frontier Group Holdings' quarter-three results, Biffle pointed to the Las Vegas and Florida markets, highlighting a “uneven” deployment of capacity compared with 2019 levels. “The route P&Ls on those routes, regardless of airline, are probably a little bit under pressure,” he said.

Oct. 26

Lufthansa will use an Airbus A380 on the Munich-Bangkok route, adding capacity on the service. Lufthansa’s A380s are configured with 509 seats, including eight first-class seats and 78 business-class seats. “We are increasing capacity between Thailand and Germany due to strong demand,” says Anlee Do, Lufhansa’s genearl manager for Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and the Mekong region. “We are the only airline group operating the A380 nonstop between Thailand and Europe and this signifies our strong commitment to the Thai market.” Lufthansa Group carriers offer 21 weekly flights between Europe and Thailand.

Vietnam Airlines will open daily service between Da Nang, Vietnam, and Bangkok from Nov. 29. The airline will use an Airbus A321 on the route. The airline already operates to Bangkok from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will launch 6X-weekly flights between Zurich and Rotterdam in the Netherlands from Jan. 22, 2024. Rotterdam becomes a new destination in SWISS’ network. “In addition to its existing Amsterdam flights, SWISS will now offer a further attractive air travel option to and from the country’s economic and cultural center,” the airline says in a statement,

Oct. 25

Ethiopian Airlines is returning to Spain’s capital Madrid in December for the first time since 2020. The carrier plans to serve Addis Ababa Bole International Airport-Madrid-Barajas Airport four times per week from Dec. 9, flying on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Boeing 787-9 aircraft will be used on the route. “The new services will continue to be vital in linking Africa with Spain’s arts and financial center creating critical link to the socio-economic relationships between Madrid and more than 60 African cities where Ethiopian Airlines flies to,” Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew says.

Dominican Republic-based Arajet has inaugurated its first route to Canada. The LCC’s service between Santo Domingo Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) took off on Oct. 24. The route will operate four times per week using Boeing 737-8s. Arajet plans to launch is second route to Canada—between SDQ and Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport—on Nov. 7.

Aurigny Air Services, based in Guernsey, the Channel Islands, is adding a new route to Liverpool, England. Flights will begin on April 2, 2024, and be offered three times per week. The airline will become the 10th carrier serving Liverpool Airport.

Russian carrier Red Wings Airlines is launching a new international route to Batumi, Georgia. Service from Moscow Domodedovo Airport will commence on Nov. 3, operating on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The airline is also increasing service to Kutaisi, Georgia, to 5X-weekly.

Oct. 24

Saudi LCC flynas has confirmed plans to launch a new route between Jeddah and Brussels, as previously reported. Flights will start on Dec. 2, operating three times per week. The service is in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program (ACP), established to support the country’s ambition of attracting 100 million tourists by 2030. “Building upon the successful launch of the Marseille-Jeddah route by flynas last year, introducing this new route to Brussels is a significant step forward in our ongoing commitment to bolster air connectivity with Europe,” ACP CEO Ali Rajab says.

Virgin Atlantic has inaugurated a new route connecting London Heathrow Airport and the Maldives. The service to Male’s Velana International Airport will operate three times per week using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. “This inaugural flight marks a significant milestone in the enhancement of air travel connections between the United Kingdom and the Maldives,” says Mahjoob Shujau, CEO and managing director of airport operator Maldives Airports Company Limited.

Uzbekistan Airways is to commence flights between capital city Tashkent and Phuket, Thailand, the airline has announced. Operations will start on Dec. 1, operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. The carrier offers one scheduled route to Thailand at present, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows, flying 3X-weekly to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport using Airbus A321neos.

Oct. 23

Air Arabia is launching a new route between Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and Giza, Egypt. The service will connect Sharjah International Airport with Sphinx International Airport (SPX) five times per week using Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, starting from Dec. 6. SPX marks the LCC’s fourth destination in Egypt from Sharjah, following Cairo International Airport, Borg Al-Arab International Airport and Sohag International Airport.

Etihad Airways and SAS Scandinavian Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement that will come into full service at the end of December. “The tie-in gives our guests one-stop access across Scandinavia to destinations including Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Bergen and Aarhus,” Etihad Chief Revenue Officer Arik De says. Paul Verhagen, SAS executive vice president and chief commercial officer, adds: “This partnership expands the choices available to SAS customers for journeys to Abu Dhabi and beyond, with connections to India, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and more.”

Aurigny Air Services, based in Guernsey, the Channel Islands, has announced plans to launch a new route to Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY), England. Flights will start from July 23, 2024, through Aug. 27, operating on Tuesdays. “We are excited to offer this convenient link to Guernsey, a destination known for its beauty and rich cultural heritage, and very much look forward to welcoming Aurigny as our 10th airline carrier,” NQY’s Head of Commercial Amy Smith says.

United Airlines and Aer Lingus are ending their codeshare agreement. The carriers are terminating their partnership from Oct. 27, according to a document filed by United to the U.S. Transportation Department. The two airlines have partnered on routes since July 2008.