The latest new route announcements, schedule changes and codeshares.
Feb. 24
Australian startup Bonza has unveiled its launch network from Melbourne (MEL), the airline’s second base after Sunshine Coast. Nine routes are now on sale, connecting MEL with the likes of Port Macquarie, Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast. The Boeing 737-8 operator has also announced new routes from Tamworth and Toowoomba Wellcamp. The latest additions increase Bonza’s network to 17 destinations and 27 routes.
Ethiopian Airlines will resume 4X-weekly flights between Abidjan (ABJ), Ivory Coast, and New York (JFK) from May 29. The carrier first started serving New York from its main hub Addis Ababa via Abidjan in June 2019. However, the route was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Service to New York resumed in October 2020, but via Lomé (LFW), Togo, rather than Abidjan. The planned resumption comes as Ethiopian prepares to open a new route to Atlanta (ATL) from May 16.
Air Serbia and Air China have renewed and expanded a codeshare pact that started in 2015. The agreement covers flights between Belgrade and Beijing, while the Serbian flag carrier will place its code on Air China’s service between Vienna and Beijing. Air China will also place its code on Air Serbia’s Belgrade-Vienna flights, as well as its service from Belgrade to Tianjin. In addition, an interline agreement will enable passengers to connect from Tianjin to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xi’an.
U.S. carrier Frontier Airlines has launched seasonal nonstop service from St. Louis Lambert International (STL) to Montego Bay (MBJ), Jamaica. The new route increases the ULCC’s network from St. Louis to seven destinations. Flights to Montego Bay will be three times per week.
Cargo carrier Silk Way West Airlines is opening a route between Tashkent (TAS), the capital of Uzbekistan, and Dammam (DMM) in Saudi Arabia. The scheduled service will operate twice a week.
Feb. 23
Canada’s Porter Airlines has launched its inaugural flights between Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Calgary (YYC). The airline now flies to the two largest cities in Alberta as it grows its national network. Service between Calgary and Toronto Pearson has begun with 2X-daily flights, increasing to 3X-daily as of June 1. The route is operated with 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. “The launch of service in Calgary continues Porter’s western expansion and marks our entry to southern Alberta,” said Kevin Jackson, Porter's executive VP and chief commercial officer.
Avianca has expanded a codeshare pact with Colombian regional airline EasyFly. The agreement now includes new destinations Arauca, Florencia, Puerto Asis and Quibdo. The two airlines entered into what was described as the “first phase” of their partnership last June with 17 codeshare routes. “During 2022, close to 40,000 passengers flew through this agreement, which demonstrates the immense potential of this strategy to make Colombia a tourism hub,” said Julio Ordóñez, Avianca's director of alliances.
Jetstar Japan is to resume flights between Nagoya's Chubu Centrair (NGO) and Manila (MNL), Philippines, from March 26 after a three-year hiatus. Flights will be daily. The LCC has already resumed one route to Manila, with service from Tokyo Narita (NRT) restarting on Dec. 15, 2022. OAG data shows that two other carriers also offer NGO-MNL flights, with Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines each offering a daily service.
Feb. 22
Eurowings is opening a new route to Armenia during the summer 2023 season. The LCC will begin a second route to the capital Yerevan (EVN) on May 29, flying once a week from Dusseldorf (DUS) onboard Airbus A320 equipment. The airline will also serve the Armenian city from Cologne/Bonn (CGN) this summer—a route that launched in August 2021. OAG data shows that Flyone Armenia also intends to begin Dusseldorf-Yerevan flights in May, operating 2X-weekly using A320s.
South Korea’s Asiana Airlines plans to add 40 weekly flights across 12 international routes from March. From Seoul Incheon (ICN) service to: Taiwan Taoyuan (TPE) will grow to 2X-daily from March 1; Da Nang (DAD) and Okinawa (OKA will become daily from March 10 and March 15, respectively; and frequencies to London Heathrow (LHR) will become daily, Rome Fiumicino (FCO) 4X-weekly, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) 6X-weekly, Barcelona (BCN) 3X-weekly, and Delhi (DEL) 3X-weekly from March 26. Seoul Incheon-Sendai (SDJ) resumes from April 28, operating 2X-weekly, alongside a daily Tokyo Haneda (HND) service which has been suspended since March 2020. Finally, from May 1 frequencies to Seattle (SEA) will rise to daily, and New York John F Kennedy (JFK) will rise to 10X-weekly from May 10.
Feb. 21
Kuwaiti LCC Jazeera Airways is adding flights to a third destination in Uzbekistan. A route between Kuwait City (KWI) and Samarkand (SKD) will operate twice a week from March 1. The airline became the first to connect Kuwait to Uzbekistan in 2021, with direct flights to the capital city Tashkent. A second route to Namangan opened last year. “We have been steadily developing our presence in Central Asia and Uzbekistan has been a particular success for us with continuing growth opportunities,” Jazeera Airways CEO Rohit Ramachandran said.
India’s IndiGo has announced new domestic flights between Mumbai (BOM)-Silchar (IXS) and Delhi (DEL)-Itanagar (HGI) via Kolkata (CCU), effective March 2. Each will be served three times per week.
Air France is adding flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Nice (NCE) ahead of the Cannes Film Festival. Service on May 15, 22 and 29 will be operated by Airbus A350-900 equipped with 324 seats. The airline will also operate four special flights between New York John F Kennedy (JFK) and Nice for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, taking place between June 19-23. The flights will depart JFK on June 17 and 18 using Boeing 777-300ER, returning on June 23 and 24.
Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines will each start flying to Lithuania’s capital Vilnius (VNO) in March. OAG data shows that Austrian will operate flights from Vienna (VIE) three times per week using a mix of Airbus A320s and Embraer E195s, while Brussels Airlines will serve Brussels (BRU)-Vilnius 3X-weekly using A319s. Both routes will start on March 26.
Feb. 20
Dubai-based LCC flydubai is launching daily service to Mogadishu Aden Adde International (MGQ) on March 9 using Boeing 737-8s, making it the first carrier to connect Somalia directly with Dubai (DXB) and the United Arab Emirates. The airline plans to double the frequency of flights from June 1. “We continue to look for opportunities to grow our network in East Africa and open up underserved markets,” CCO Hamad Obaidalla said. “This region has seen significant economic growth and development in recent years, our direct flights will further stimulate the economy and help create free flows of travel and trade.”
Starting April 6, Air Serbia will launch a nonstop Belgrade (BEG)-Tel Aviv (TLV) route. Flights to the Israeli city will operate three times per week using Airbus A319s. In addition, the airline plans to start flying from Belgrade to Lisbon (LIS) on April 16. The Serbian national airline will operate two flights a week to Portugal’s capital on Tuesdays and Saturdays, also using A319s.
Hong Kong Airlines will operate a 4X-weekly service to Beijing Daxing (PKX) from March 15, becoming the first Hong Kong-based carrier to serve the new Chinese airport and fly into both of Beijing's international airports. Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Situated between Beijing and Langfang, Daxing is the second international airport in Beijing along with Beijing Capital (PEK). There are currently four runways in service at the airport.
Long-haul LCC Norse Atlantic Airways has announced the launch of two new routes from London Gatwick (LGW) to the U.S. Travelers will be able to fly to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO) from London's secondary airport. Service to Orlando begins on May 25 and Fort Lauderdale the following day. The MCO flights will be 4X-weekly in May and June, increasing to daily during peak summer, while FLL will be 3X-weekly in May and June, and then 4X-weekly for the rest of the summer season.
Etihad Airways is expanding its European network with the introduction of a new nonstop service between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Lisbon (LIS), effective July 2. The route will be 3X-weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. “Our new direct connection will enhance the trade and tourism ties between the UAE and Portugal, and we are grateful for the support of the Portuguese authorities in establishing our new air link,” said Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves, who was previously in charge at TAP Air Portugal. Alongside the Lisbon route, the airline said it plans to resume a 2X-weekly service to Malaga (AGP) in Spain from June 18 and return to the Greek island of Mykonos (JMK), flying 2X-weekly from June 16.
Australia’s Jetstar Airways will resume a domestic seasonal service between Cairns (CNS) and Newcastle (NTL) from June 24 until October 28. Operated by an A320 aircraft, the flights will be three times a week. “We saw strong demand in both directions when the route was first launched in 2021 and we expect it will be more popular than ever this year,” Jetstar chief customer officer Alan McIntyre said.
Spanish carrier Volotea is to operate special flights to and from Cardiff (CWL), Wales, this autumn to cater for rugby fans traveling to the Rugby World Cup, taking place across nine venues in France between Sept. 8 and Oct. 28. The first flight will depart for Lyon (LYS) on Sept. 22 ahead of the Wales vs. Australia match, while a second will link Cardiff with Nantes (NTE) on Oct. 6 in time for the game between Wales and Georgia. Earlier this month, Volotea signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Eurowings to enter into a sales partnership. The cooperation is set to cover more than 140 European routes operated by both airlines without overlap, including more than 100 routes operated by Eurowings and around 40 operated by Volotea.
Tunisia’s Nouvelair is launching direct flights from Tunis (TUN) to Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) in Sweden. The route will be operated once a week, Mondays, with an A320 starting June 19. The last time Nouvelair flew between the cities was in 2017.
Feb. 10
India’s Vistara has announced the launch of flights from Mumbai (BOM) to Mauritius (MRU) starting March 26. Operations will be five times per week onboard Airbus A321LR equipment. “This new route will further aid the growing traffic between the two countries,” Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan says. “Besides being a popular tourist destination, Mauritius is an important business hub and home to many global financial institutions.”
Ryanair plans to add eight new destinations to its summer 2023 schedule from Stockholm Arlanda (ARN). The ULCC is stationing a fifth aircraft at the base, which it opened in November 2021. The new routes being launched are to Dublin (DUB), Birmingham (BHX), Malta (MLA), Porto (OPO), Pisa (PSA), Turin (TRN), Tuzla (TZL) and Valencia (VLC). In total, Ryanair will offer 45 routes from ARN during the summer season.
Sudanese carrier Badr Airlines has scheduled the launch of flights to the UK. The airline’s booking system shows that service from Khartoum (KRT) to London Gatwick (LGW) will operate twice a week via Istanbul (IST), starting Feb. 24 and using Boeing 737-800s. The return leg will either operate nonstop or via Cairo (CAI) for refueling, the carrier said.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines has inaugurated a new route between Copenhagen (CPH) and New York John F Kennedy (JFK). Service will be 5X-weekly using Airbus A321LR aircraft. For the 2023 summer season, the route will rise to daily. SAS already serves New York from CPH with flights to Newark (EWR) in New Jersey, so the new route increases capacity to its largest U.S. market. The carrier’s return to JFK comes after an absence of three decades.
Dharamshala (DHM), a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, is to become the 78th domestic destination in IndiGo’s network. The LCC will begin flights between Delhi (DEL) and Dharamshala effective March 26, operating 11 times per week. “We have witnessed strong demand for connectivity to Himachal Pradesh since the offset of Covid-19 as more and more people are traveling to hills during summer months,” IndiGo head of global sales Vinay Malhotra says.
Feb. 9
ULCC Spirit Airlines has suspended two routes to Colombia. Service from Miami (MIA) to both Bogota (BOG) and Medellin (MDE) ended on Feb. 8. The U.S. airline launched the routes in October 2021, flying each sector daily, using Airbus A320neos to Bogota and A319s to Medellin. Despite the suspensions, data provided by OAG shows that the carrier will continue daily flights to both Colombian airports from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO). The MIA-BOG market will continue to be served by American Airlines, Avianca and LATAM Airlines Group, while American, Avianca and Viva Air serve MIA-MDE.
Ryanair plans to fly to 60 destinations from Valencia (VLC) in Spain during the summer 2023 season, including four new routes. The airline said it would base two additional aircraft at the airport, taking its total there to seven aircraft. The new routes being launched are to Belfast International (BFS), Billund (BLL), Memmingen (FMM) and Stockholm Arlanda (ARN). Elena Cabrera, spokesperson for Ryanair in Spain and Portugal, said the summer schedule represents growth of 21% compared with summer 2022. The Irish ULCC has also announced plans to station an 11th aircraft in Edinburgh (EDI) during summer 2023. Six new destinations are being added from the Scottish city to Belfast, Bournemouth (BOH), Cornwall (NQY), London Stansted (STN), Rhodes (RHO) and Venice (WCE). In total, Ryanair will offer 69 routes from EDI.
Breeze Airways has launched its inaugural flights from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) in the U.S. The airline will initially offer service to Charleston (CHS) and San Francisco (SFO), operating twice a week. Two more destinations will be added from March 30, connecting CVG with Providence (PVD) and Santa Ana (SNA). All four routes will use A220-300 aircraft.
Feb. 8
Canadian ULCC Lynx Air has launched its inaugural flight to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) from Calgary (YYC). The route will operate 3X-weekly using Boeing 737-8s. "We are excited to be launching our very first flight to Phoenix at such a festive time of the year, with the city hosting the world’s largest golf tournament as well as the Super Bowl this week,” Lynx CEO Merren McArthur said. The airline’s expansion into the U.S. started in late January, with its first flight from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Orlando (MCO). Its trans-border network will continue to expand over the next few weeks, with the planned launch of services out of Calgary to Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS).
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com has added more flights to Tenerife (TFS) and Palma de Mallorca (PMI) between March and May following “strong demand.” The airline said the expansion represents an additional 11,000 extra seats to its schedule. Frequencies are being increased from Belfast International (BFS), Birmingham (BHX), Edinburgh (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), Leeds Bradford (LBA), Manchester (MAN) and Newcastle (NCL). “The early summer season is proving to be enormously popular in both destinations and we are very pleased to be offering even more choice and flexibility,” CEO Steve Heapy said.
SWISS has become the latest European airline to add back flights to China. Passenger service between Zurich (ZRH) and Shanghai Pudong (PVG) will resume on March 3 using a mix of Boeing 777-300ERs and A340-300s. One weekly flight is planned initially during March, before the route is expanded to 3X-weekly frequencies from April onwards. SWISS suspended its previous scheduled passenger services between Zurich and Shanghai in April 2022 in view of the travel restrictions imposed by China’s government. Since then, the carrier has offered cargo-only flights on the route. In addition, SWISS plans to increase passenger service from Zurich to Hong Kong (HKG) from 5X-weekly to 6X-weekly in late March.
Russian carrier Aeroflot is to fly to India’s newest airport. Service to Goa Mopa (GOX) from Yekaterinburg (SVX) will be 3X-weekly, starting in October. Goa Mopa opened in January and is currently served by five domestic carriers: Akasa Air, Go First, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara. Oman Air is set to become the first international airline to offer flights to the new airport when it begins a route from Muscat (MCT) in March.
Feb. 7
From March 26, KLM is planning to increase the frequency of flights to China and Hong Kong in response to the lifting of travel restrictions. Flights to Hong Kong (HKG) currently operate 2X-weekly via Bangkok (BKK) but will become a 3X-weekly nonstop service from Amsterdam (AMS). The airline said nonstop service to both Beijing Capital (PEK) and Shanghai (PVG) will start with 6X-weekly flights each, rising to daily in May.
Nasik (ISK) is to become the 77th domestic destination in Indian LCC IndiGo’s network. Three routes are being launched, connecting the destination with Ahmedabad (AMD), Goa Mopa (GOX) and Nagpur (NAG). Each sector will be served daily from March 15. “The new direct connections will enhance accessibility, while promoting trade, tourism, and mobility,” said Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo's head of global sales.
Gulf Air is increasing service to Italy in March. Flights from Bahrain (BAH) to Milan Malpensa (MXP) will rise from 3X-weekly to daily, while Rome Fiumicino will grow from 2X-weekly to 3X-weekly. “Our upgraded services will offer convenience and connectivity to our passengers to travel to and from Bahrain and connect to onward destinations within our global network,” Gulf Air CEO Waleed Al Alawi said.
AirAsia Philippines has announced plans to resume Manila (MNL)-Macau (MFM) flights on March 2. The route will operate three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. “Now that China is opening its borders to the world, a new era of tourism, trade and commerce is set to emerge,” AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said.
Bristol (BRS) has become the eighth UK airport to be served by SWISS. The airline has launched a route from Zurich (ZRH), initially operating once a week using A220-300s. Frequencies will become 2X-weekly in April when the equipment switches to Embraer 190 E2s. A third weekly flight will also start in June. “There were more than 38,000 Swiss visits in 2019, over half of which were holiday visits, so this route is a critical part of rebuilding the market,” said Kathryn Davis, MD of tourism agency Visit West.
From March 18, Air Astana’s flights from Astana (NQZ) to Beijing Capital (PEK) will resume with two round trips per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays using Airbus A321LRs. The airline said frequency increases are planned during the summer season. In addition, service between Almaty (ALA) and Beijing will double to 4X-weekly from March 2 using A321LR and A321neo equipment. Air Astana restarted flights to Beijing in November 2022 following a suspension of more than two and a half years.
Feb. 6
LATAM Airlines Group is increasing service between Ecuador and Colombia. The carrier, which commenced Quito (UIO)-Bogota (BOG) operations in April 2022, is adding a route between Guayaquil (GYE) and Colombia’s capital from March. Service will start on March 26, operating daily using Airbus A319 equipment. LATAM previously operated nonstop flights between the destinations for a limited time in February and March 2022. OAG data shows the airline will compete in the GYE-BOG market with Avianca and Aero Republica.
Irish ULCC Ryanair is to axe six routes from Tallinn (TLL), the capital of Estonia, blaming increased airport charges. The airline said the cuts represent a 35% reduction in its planned schedule from the airport for the summer 2023 season. Routes affected are to Billund (BLL), Paris Beauvais (BVA), Dublin (DUB), Malta (MLA), Naples (NAP) and Nuremberg (NUE). In addition, frequencies are being reduced from Tallinn to Berlin (BER).
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will begin flying to Amman (AMM) in Jordan from March 12. The route from Abu Dhabi (AUH) will have three frequencies per week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Amman will become the 27th destination in the LCC’s network at the present time.
Colombian ULCC Viva Air is suspending three routes from Cali (CLO). In a statement, the airline confirmed it is cutting flights to Cartagena (CTG), Santa Marta (SMR) and San Andrés (ADZ) from Feb. 6. However, the carrier said it plans to maintain 18 flights per week from Cali to Medellín (MDE) and 11 per week to Bogota, adding that passengers would be able to connect through these airports to Cartagena, Santa Marta and San Andrés.
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