Routes In Brief: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Oct. 9, 2023)

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

Oct. 13

IndiGo has further expanded its Indian domestic network, beginning operations from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Flights commenced to New Delhi on Oct. 12, with service to Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Mumbai starting on Oct. 29. All four routes will be offered daily. Jaisalmer’s history traces back to the 12th century, and it has evolved into a popular tourist destination. The Jaisalmer Fort, also referred to as Sonar Qila, stands as the city's most iconic landmark.

Canada’s Lynx Air has inaugurated flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). The ULCC will serve the market 3X-weekly, adding to U.S. flights to Orlando and Los Angeles from YYZ. Its U.S. network from Toronto will grow further in the coming months with the addition of Tampa on Nov. 10 and Southwest Florida International on Dec. 31. “Toronto is our fastest-growing hub as it has historically been underserved by low-cost carriers, so airfares have been too high for too long,” new Lynx Air CEO Jim Sullivan says.

From Dec. 31, flights from Russia’s St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport to the island of Cayo Coco, Cuba, will open. Nordwind Airlines plans to operate the route using Boeing 777-200 aircraft through April 24, 2024.

Philippine Airlines intends to launch a new Cebu-Laoag route as part of efforts to improve connectivity between Northern Luzon and the central and southern Philippines. Flights will start on Dec. 15, operating twice a week every Tuesday and Friday.

Oct. 12

Singapore Airlines (SIA) plans to increase its Singapore Changi-Hyderabad, India, services from 7X-weekly to 12X-weekly as it takes over Scoot’s daily services between the cities. The new morning service will be operated using 154-seat Boeing 737-8 aircraft from Oct. 29, while the daily evening service will use Airbus A350s, fitted with 303 seats. The schedule adjustment comes as SIA celebrates 20 years of flying to Hyderabad on Oct. 29. From the start of the forthcoming northern winter season, SIA will operate 96X-weekly flights to and from eight Indian cities, while Scoot will operate 44X-weekly flights to and from six Indian cities.

Hainan Airlines plans to resume flights to Paris from Chongqing Jiangbei in November. The carrier will offer one flight per week to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It last served the sector in February 2020. Hainan currently offers one route to CDG at present, flying twice a week from Shenzhen aboard 787-9s.

Canada’s WestJet has confirmed plans to serve 10 destinations from Regina International Airport (YQR) this winter, while recently acquired Sunwing will offer six routes from the Saskatchewan airport. WestJet will fly to: Calgary, Canada (up to 6X-daily); Cancun, Mexico (up to 3X-weekly); Edmonton, Canada (up to 6X-weekly); Las Vegas (up to 2X-weekly); Orlando, Florida (up to 1X-weekly); Phoenix (up to 2X-weekly); Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (up to 2X-weekly); Toronto (up to 3X-weekly); Vancouver (up to 3X-weekly); and Winnipeg, Canada (up to 4X-weekly). Sunwing’s flights will connect YQR with: Cancun (2X-weekly); Mazatlan, Mexico (1X-weekly); Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (1X-weekly); Puerto Vallarta (2X-weekly); Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (1X-weekly); and Varadero, Cuba (1X-weekly). “Strong air service is vital for the health of our community, and WestJet continues to lead the way in providing the most capacity here at the Regina International Airport,” says James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority.

Oct. 11

Azerbaijan Airlines is preparing to resume flights to China before the end of the year. The carrier will restart nonstop Baku Heydar Aliyev International-Beijing Capital flights on Dec. 19, operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The sector was last served nonstop by the airline before the pandemic. “The decision to launch flights between the two capitals is aimed at meeting the growing demand for travel and strengthening dynamically developing ties between Azerbaijan and China,” Azerbaijan Airlines says in a statement.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) has reported that SunExpress plans to launch two new Turkish routes in summer 2024. Flights will connect the German capital with Diyarbakır and Kayseri. The airline expects to offer flights from BER to 10 destinations in Turkey next summer, with 56 departures per week. “Turkey was the second-most important destination after Spain from BER in summer 2023,” the airport says.

Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly is launching a new route to Thailand. Service from Penang, Malaysia, to Bangkok Don Mueang will begin on Nov. 3. The LCC intends to offer two flights per week through March 30, 2024.

Delta Air Lines has announced that its seasonal service between Atlanta and Rio de Janeiro, which returns on Dec. 16, will now operate year-round. The airline says the move is in “response to growing demand.” The extension was confirmed as Delta celebrated the first anniversary of its joint venture with LATAM Airlines Group.

IndiGo has made further additions to its domestic network in India. Flights have commenced from Khajuraho to New Delhi and Varanasi. The LCC will operate a daily nonstop service between Khajuraho and Varanasi, as well as flying Khajuraho-Varanasi-New Delhi daily. Khajuraho, formerly known as Kharjuravahaka, is one of Madhya Pradesh's most popular tourist destinations.

Air Montenegro is adding flights to Rome. Service from Podgorica will start on Dec. 15, operating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. The carrier says the launch will “contribute to the improvement of the availability of the tourist offer of Montenegro to the Italian market.”

Oct. 10

Indian LCC IndiGo is launching three domestic routes from Salem, the fifth-largest city in the southern Tamil Nadu state. Daily flights to Chennai will start on Oct. 29, followed by 4X-weekly services to Hyderabad and Bengaluru on Oct. 30. Salem becomes the 82nd domestic and 114th overall destination in the airline’s network.

WestJet plans to resume three seasonal services to Orlando International Airport over the coming weeks, the U.S. airport has confirmed. Flights from St. John’s will restart on Oct. 16, operating weekly through June 24, 2024; service from Halifax returns on Oct. 21 and will be 2X-weekly until June 28; and Winnipeg-Orlando resumes three times per week on Oct. 29 through May 3.

Brazilian regional carrier Voepass Linhas Aéreas is expanding from Belo Horizonte. Flights to Comandatuba, Ilhéus and Porto Seguro will start on Dec. 15 using 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft. Voepass CEO Eduardo Busch says the new routes will increase domestic tourism and enhance connectivity for passengers.

Spanish airline Volotea is opening a new connection between Florence, Italy, and Prague from March 22, 2024. The route will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. It increases the number of destinations served by the carrier from Florence to eight domestic and five international points. Volotea says it also plans to offer flights from Pisa to Olbia, Sardinia, and Nantes, France, from next year.

Oct. 9

Vietnam Airlines has scheduled the launch of two new routes to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Flights to Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be launched from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) on Dec. 1, followed by service from Hanoi (HAN) the next day. Flights will be offered four times per week from SGN and three times per week from HAN, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows. Both routes will operate using A321 aircraft.
 

Royal Air Philippines has resumed operations from Clark International Airport (CRK), Philippines, with a route to Hong Kong. The service was inaugurated on Oct. 8 and will operate daily using Airbus A320s. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows one other airline serves the market at the present time, with Cebu Pacific offering six round trips per week using a mix of A320s and A320neos. Royal Air Philippines last served CRK in January 2023 with flights to Caticlan, Philippines.
 

Uganda Airlines has commenced a new route from Uganda’s capital Entebbe to Mumbai, India. The route will be offered three times per week aboard A330-800s. Mumbai becomes the 12^th international destination served by the carrier and only its second alongside Dubai outside the continent of Africa.