The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Aug. 8
Wizz Air will expand its presence at Craiova International Airport, Romania, with four new routes to western and southern Europe. Beginning Oct. 26, the carrier will launch 2X-weekly service to Paris Beauvais, followed by Naples and Athens from Oct. 28. A Barcelona El Prat route will start March 29, 2026. The expansion takes Wizz Air’s network from Craiova to 14 destinations in seven countries for the 2025-26 winter season.
Azerbaijan Airlines will launch a new Baku–Tabriz service from Sept. 3, operating 2X-weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays. The carrier says the route will strengthen air links between Azerbaijan and Iran. The launch comes alongside the resumption of regular flights between Baku and Tehran from Sept. 1. Service to the Iranian capital will operate four times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
ITA Airways is expanding its codeshare agreement with Lufthansa Group airlines, adding new destinations in Africa and Asia from Sept. 2. The latest expansion follows an initial batch launched earlier this year and will see ITA’s AZ code placed on Lufthansa Group flights from Frankfurt and Munich to New Delhi and Mumbai, and from Munich to Seoul. Lufthansa’s LH code will be added to ITA services from Rome Fiumicino to Accra, Dakar and New Delhi.
Iberia will set a new record in 2025 for capacity between Latin America and Europe, scheduling more than 5.5 million seats for the year—5% more than in 2024. The expansion will see the airline operate over 350 weekly transatlantic flights, surpassing last year’s peak of 330. Growth is being driven by capacity increases in key markets including Peru, Chile, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Highlights include two daily flights to Lima, up to 12X-weekly to Santiago, 11X-weekly to San Juan and up to double-daily service to Santo Domingo.
Aug. 7
Volotea plans to launch two new routes from Strasbourg to Porto and Agadir from Nov. 29. Flights to Porto will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, while Agadir will be served weekly on Saturdays. The Spanish LCC will now serve 27 destinations in seven countries from Strasbourg, where it has operated a base for more than a decade. Volotea expects to surpass 6 million passengers to and from Strasbourg by year-end.
Norway’s Widerøe is planning a 10% increase in capacity this fall, with a focus on strengthening its domestic network. A key part of the expansion is the Bergen–Tromsø route, which will see daily frequencies rise from three to four starting in early September. The airline has shifted focus away from traditional summer routes to southern Europe this year, boosting its domestic offering instead. In July, Widerøe carried 362,337 passengers—up 9% year on year—despite a slight 0.3% decrease in total capacity compared to July 2024.
LATAM Airlines Brasil will operate additional flights on its Cuiabá–São Paulo Guarulhos route, adding 35,400 seats. Between Dec. 1 and March 28, 2026, the airline will introduce five extra weekly frequencies on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. From Dec. 16 to Feb. 12, two more weekly flights will be added on Tuesdays and Thursdays, bringing the total to 35X-weekly services. All flights will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft.
Aug. 6
Germany’s Condor has launched a new fifth-freedom route connecting Frankfurt Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport using Airbus A330neo aircraft. Flights on the route will operate 3X-weekly. The service is the result of a partnership between Condor, the Sanya Tourism Board and Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Sanya, located on the southern tip of Hainan Island, is known for its beach resorts and cultural sites such as Nanshan Temple and Binlang Ethnic Village.
Wizz Air has revealed an expansion of its operations in Bulgaria with the addition of a seventh aircraft to its Sofia base and the launch of seven new routes. The ULCC will introduce flights from Sofia to Prague, Turin, Chișinău and Marrakesh in late October; Warsaw Modlin in mid-December; and Lamezia Terme and Palma de Mallorca in late March 2026. Additionally, frequencies will be increased to Barcelona, Basel, Hamburg and Milan Bergamo. The expansion will increase the airline’s total capacity from Sofia Airport to approximately 1.29 million seats annually, more than 100,000 above current levels. It also boosts Wizz Air’s market share at the airport to 29%.
Ryanair plans to launch three new routes from the UK to Rovaniemi, Lapland, as part of its winter 2025-26 schedule. The ULCC will operate 2X-weekly return flights from Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester to the Finnish destination.
Swiss will resume daily flights between Zurich and Tel Aviv on Sept. 25, four days earlier than initially scheduled. The route, which had been suspended since mid-June, was originally due to restart on Sept. 29. The earlier resumption is in response to strong passenger demand and the availability of aircraft and crew, according to the airline. Service will operate daily using Airbus A330 aircraft. Swiss also resumed flights to Beirut on Aug. 3.
Avianca has announced the launch of a new nonstop route between Bogotá, Colombia, and Monterrey, Mexico, with service set to begin on Oct. 26. The new route marks Avianca’s first direct connection to Monterrey and will operate four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The airline reported transporting over 579,000 passengers between Mexico and South America on more than 4,400 flights during the first half of 2025. With the addition of Monterrey, Avianca will serve nine routes in Mexico with 88 weekly frequencies.
Aug. 5
Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines has received exemption authority from the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) to begin operating scheduled and charter services between Hong Kong and the U.S. The carrier intends to launch its first U.S. route with 2X-weekly flights between Hong Kong and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands—a U.S. commonwealth—beginning during the winter 2025-26 season. Flights will be operated using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. It also plans to begin service to Guam in 2026 once deliveries of its 737-9 aircraft on order commence.
Wizz Air is expanding its network from Skopje International Airport, North Macedonia, with six new routes launching for the winter 2025-26 season. New destinations include Bari, Cologne, Larnaca, Madrid, Prague and Stockholm, with frequencies ranging from two to three flights weekly and launches staggered between late October and December. “These new routes open fresh opportunities for tourism, including summer vacations and city breaks, thus boosting sustainable traffic and strengthening our presence on the European tourism map,” says Nejat Kurt, general manager of airport operator TAV Macedonia.
Argentinian LCC Flybondi will return to Paraguay this month with the launch of a new international route between Buenos Aires and Encarnación. Starting Aug. 24, the carrier will operate 4X-weekly flights to the southern Paraguayan city. The airline will initially fly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, shifting to 3X-weekly frequencies during September.
Jetstar will launch flights between Brisbane and Rarotonga on May 18, 2026, becoming the only airline to offer nonstop service between Queensland and the Cook Islands. Operating three times per week using Airbus A321LR aircraft, the route will add more than 50,000 seats annually and follows the LCC’s Sydney–Rarotonga launch in 2023. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says: “Tourism is the backbone of the Cook Islands' economy, contributing approximately 75% of the country's GDP. The new services from Jetstar will provide a major boost to our tourism sector and the financial impact for local tourism operators and the nation will be positive.”
Emirates will introduce a fourth daily flight between Dubai International Airport and London Gatwick Airport starting Feb. 8, 2026, operated using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The new service increases its London-area operations to 12X-daily flights across Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted.
Aug. 4
AirAsia X will launch its first route to Uzbekistan this October, introducing nonstop service between Kuala Lumpur and Tashkent as part of its broader strategy to expand into Central Asia. Beginning Oct. 15, the new route will operate three times per week. The route supports Uzbekistan’s tourism goal of attracting 15.8 million foreign visitors in 2025 and is expected to drive two-way traffic between Southeast Asia and Central Asia. “The strong performance of our Almaty route has reaffirmed the potential of Central Asia, prompting us to grow further in the region,” AirAisa X CEO Benyamin Ismail says.
EasyJet has placed 11 new summer 2026 routes on sale from Newcastle Airport, more than doubling the number of destinations on its network from the UK airport. New routes include Antalya, Corfu, Dalaman, Enfidha, Faro, Malta, Nice, Prague, Reus, Rhodes and Sharm El Sheikh. The expansion comes ahead of easyJet’s planned three-aircraft base opening at Newcastle in spring 2026.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has increased flight frequencies from Abu Dhabi to Baku, Azerbaijan, and Tbilisi, Georgia. The carrier now operates 6X-weekly flights to Baku and will boost service to Tbilisi to 8X-weekly flights starting Aug. 7, including double-daily flights on Thursdays. “These two vibrant cities remain popular among UAE residents and visitors alike,” Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali says. “The enhanced schedules will not only reinforce travel and tourism ties but also offer a more seamless and accessible travel experience.”
Related Content
