Chiang Mai International Airport

Thai VietJet will launch its first international route from Chiang Mai in February.

Routes selects 50 new air services set to start around the world in January, looking at the planned frequency, start date and aircraft to be used.

The removal of travel restrictions is spurring the recovery of international traffic for Routes Asia 2023 host Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai will receive a new connection to Singapore, marking the airline’s return to the sector after a 10-year hiatus.

The SkyTeam alliance member is adding flights to points in the Philippines and Thailand beyond each country’s capital city.

Budapest will become a new point in the airline’s passenger network, while routes to the United Arab Emirates and Thailand are also being restored.

The Thai city has been announced as the host of the next Routes Asia in February 2023.

Korean Air restoring flights to Hawaii, Air Nostrum’s latest tender win, and Singapore Airlines restarting service to Houston are among the latest route announcements and services resuming.

As Cathay Pacific shutters Cathay Dragon, Routes looks at the regional subsidiary’s network prior to the pandemic.

Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week we look at three new domestic routes opening in the US, Thailand and the UK.

Domestic competition in Thailand is set to intensify after Thai AirAsia started operations from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, adding to its existing hub at Don Mueang.

Thai Vietjet is increasing its footprint in Thailand’s domestic market with the launch of five new routes.

This week: Philippine Airlines is resuming service between Cebu and Los Angeles; China Airlines plans to re-enter the market between Taipei Taoyuan and Routes Asia 2020 host Chiang Mai; and BA CityFlyer is filling a gap in the market left by Thomas Cook.

Milan’s status at the heart of Lombardy - one of the most populated regions in Europe and the most prosperous in Italy - proved to be a key reason in EVA Air's decision to open a new route to the World Routes 2020 host.

This week: Thai AirAsia is adding its third Thailand-Vietnam connection; Eurowings is to open a new route from the Routes Europe 2019 host Hannover; and Southwest is set to begin flights to Hawaii.

The launch of flights to Chiang Mai comes at a time when Qatar Airways is rapidly expanding its network and will inaugurate 14 new destinations on its route map throughout 2016 and into early 2017, including a number of new markets in Africa.

The airline has already announced numerous new routes for 2016 and additional capacity in some of its existing markets, but is attending Routes Asia in Manila, Philippines to seek alternative growth destinations. This will mainly cover the North and South East Asia markets, which it has earmarked as offering the best opportunities for sustainable development.

The new airline, which is a subsidiary of TransAsia Airways (Taipei), will launch operations to the Thai capital on December 17, 2014.

Despite ongoing political tensions in the country and a consequent fall in passenger numbers during the first half of 2014, the carrier’s management is confident the second half of the year will see an increase of demand as tourists return to Thailand.

The Star Alliance member has eight Dreamliners on order, all to be leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). This includes six 787-8s due from this year (four in 2014 and two in 2015) and two of larger 787-9s, which will follow in 2017.

Thai AirAsia has confirmed it will launch its first mainland Chinese service from outside of the Thai capital, Bangkok with a new link between