The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Aug. 22
Viva will launch nonstop service between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Mexico City’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport beginning Nov. 20. The new route will operate 3X-weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with 186-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. “This is another exciting expansion of Viva's nonstop services in Central Texas," AUS CEO Ghizlane Badawi says. “We are excited to add another way for both business and leisure travelers to get to Mexico City.”
Vietjet will add 10,000 seats across nearly 50 extra flights to meet peak demand during Vietnam’s upcoming National Day holiday, running Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. The added capacity covers key domestic routes linking Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc and Hue. The LCC says the move is designed to give passengers more choice and affordability during one of the country’s busiest travel periods.
Philippine Airlines has expanded access to Siargao with new domestic services from Del Carmen to Clark and Cebu using DHC Dash 8 aircraft. The new links complement the airline’s existing Del Carmen–Manila flights. “Granting Siargao alternative air connections via Clark and Cebu addresses the appeal for air access and encourages local tourism and economic activity,” PAL Express President Rabbi Ang says. “We are happy to play a leading role in the steady development of Siargao, wherein both the visitors and the residents will prosper due to expanded air transport opportunities.”
Aug. 21
British Airways says it will expand long-haul flying next summer, adding capacity on routes to the U.S., Asia, the Caribbean and Middle East. The airline will consolidate its New York flights at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), operating 9X-daily services to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The move means it will discontinue its daily London Gatwick (LGW)–JFK route, currently flown with Boeing 777s. Elsewhere in the U.S., Miami will return to a 2X-daily schedule from LHR, Dallas-Fort Worth will regain daily service after being paused in summer 2025 and flights to Las Vegas, San Diego and Austin will increase. In Asia, Bangkok will become a year-round route from LGW, with up to 6X-weekly flights in winter, adding nearly 60,000 seats in 2026. In the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica, will see 4X-weekly flights from LGW, up from three. Middle East growth includes daily frequencies from LHR to Bahrain, 5X-weekly flights to Jeddah, 14 to Riyadh and 14 to Doha.
Wizz Air will reopen its Tuzla base on Dec. 12, two years after closing it in September 2023 and suspending most services there. The carrier will initially deploy one Airbus A321neo at Tuzla International Airport, followed by a second aircraft in March 2026. Nine new routes are planned, with Cologne, Hamburg, Maastricht and Malmö launching in December, and Berlin, Frankfurt Hahn, Gothenburg, Larnaca and Paris Beauvais joining the network in March. Wizz Air now serves 17 routes from Bosnia and Herzegovina across nine countries.
Japan’s ZIPAIR Tokyo plans to boost service on several international routes during the upcoming winter travel season. The LCC will add flights on its Tokyo Narita–Vancouver route, increasing from three to 5X-weekly services from Nov. 13 to Jan. 4, 2026. The airline will also expand its Tokyo Narita–Houston flights from three to four per week between Nov. 15 and Jan. 3. In Asia, frequencies between Tokyo Narita and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi will rise from daily to 11X-weekly from Oct. 27 to Dec. 11.
Aug. 20
Delta Air Lines has asked the U.S. Transportation Department for seasonal flexibility on its 21X-weekly frequencies between the U.S. and Havana, covering Miami and Atlanta services. The carrier said the change would allow it to better align capacity with fluctuations in demand, particularly during shoulder seasons. Delta resumed its 14 Miami–Havana flights in February 2024, while its seven Atlanta frequencies remain under a temporary dormancy waiver through October 2025. The airline argued that current demand does not fully support its Miami schedule. American Airlines and United Airlines have also requested waivers on U.S.-Cuba frequencies in recent weeks.
Norwegian will expand its network at Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) this winter with the launch of a new route to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Starting Oct. 27, the carrier will operate weekly flights on Mondays to the Red Sea resort destination, complementing its existing service to Hurghada. “Norwegian's investment in additional direct routes from Stockholm Arlanda Airport is a clear sign of the continued high demand for international travel from the Swedish market,” says Elizabeth Axtelius, director aviation business at ARN operator Swedavia. Meanwhile, Wizz Air will launch new routes to Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Göteborg Landvetter and Malmö airports as part of its Swedish winter schedule. Malmö–Tuzla flights begin Dec. 13, while Göteborg–Tuzla starts March 29, 2026, both operating 2X-weekly with Airbus A321s.
Ryanair will base a third Boeing 737 8-200 aircraft at Newcastle Airport, England, during the winter 2025-26 season. The airline will also launch five new routes to Brussels, Budapest, Gdańsk, Malta and Wrocław, alongside increased frequencies on Alicante, Dublin and Kraków services. In total, Ryanair will operate 17 routes from Newcastle this winter. “This expansion will deliver over 1 million passengers for Ryanair over the next 12 months, reflecting the strength of our partnership and the growing demand for connectivity,” NCL’s COO Richard Knight says.
AJet will launch two new European routes this fall, connecting Ankara to Madrid and Barcelona. The carrier will begin 3X-weekly flights from Ankara to Madrid on Oct. 23, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Service to Barcelona will follow on Oct. 24, with 4X-weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The new routes mark AJet’s latest expansion from Ankara as the airline looks to strengthen the Turkish capital’s international connectivity.
Japan Airlines (JAL) will adjust its network for the winter 2025-26 season with a mix of resumptions, frequency increases and equipment upgrades. The carrier will resume daily Tokyo Narita–Shanghai Pudong flights from Oct. 26 through March 28, 2026, and boost Tokyo Narita–Melbourne service from 3X-weekly to daily starting the same day. On Nov. 9, JAL will deploy Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on its daily Tokyo Haneda–Paris Charles de Gaulle route. Domestically, Tokyo Haneda–Sapporo Chitose flights will rise from 17 to 18X-daily between Jan. 6 and Feb. 28, while Osaka Itami–Sapporo will increase from four to 5X-daily between Jan. 31 and Feb. 28. Additional increases include Fukuoka–Okinawa, from six to 7X-daily starting Oct. 26 through Jan. 31, and Nagoya Chubu–Okinawa, from four to 5X-daily between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4.
EasyJet will open a new winter route from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Rome Fiumicino on Feb. 2, 2026, adding further connectivity between Scotland and Italy. The flights will operate 3X-weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. “Rome is a fantastic destination and we're confident that this increased capacity will be well received by passengers,” says Chris Tibbett, airline director at GLA owner and operator AGS Airports.
Aug. 19
GOL Linhas Aéreas will launch its first-ever seasonal service between Rio de Janeiro and Mendoza, Argentina, during the upcoming northern winter season. The route will operate twice a week from Jan. 5 to April 12, 2026, with Boeing 737 aircraft configured for 176 passengers. The nonstop flights between Rio’s Tom Jobim International Airport and Mendoza’s El Plumerillo International Airport are expected to cater to Brazilian travelers heading to Argentina’s wine region for the harvest season, while also serving Argentine tourists bound for Rio and other Brazilian leisure destinations.
Malaysia Airlines has introduced its new 297-seat Airbus A330neo on its Kuala Lumpur-Sydney route. The aircraft will initially operate on the carrier’s 2X-daily service before a third daily flight begins Aug. 30, boosting annual capacity to more than 630,000 seats. The move follows expanded air traffic rights between Australia and Malaysia, with the current weekly cap of 36,000 seats rising to 50,000 and shifting to unlimited in 2026.
PAL Airlines will launch new daily services across Atlantic Canada as part of a C$9 million ($6.5 million), three-year pilot program backed by the federal government and the Maritime provinces. The flights will connect Halifax with Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick, restoring critical regional links.
China Southern Airlines will expand Guangzhou–Brisbane services to double-daily flights, marking its largest-ever schedule since launching in Brisbane in 2010. Flights will progressively increase from 10 per week starting Nov. 17, to 14 per week between Dec. 15 and Feb. 22, 2026, before tapering to 11X-weekly until March 2. Operated by Airbus A350 aircraft, the expansion adds 85 services and more than 53,000 seats over the season. “After 15 years of partnership, this next chapter delivers more visitors, and more trade, as well as throwing down the gauntlet to its competitors,” Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff says.
Aug. 18
AirAsia Malaysia has launched a new fifth-freedom route to Japan with the start of flights from Kota Kinabalu to Fukuoka via Taipei. Service will be daily using Airbus A320 aircraft. “We are pleased to launch our first ever fifth-freedom route from Taipei to Fukuoka, highlighting an important milestone for AirAsia as we expand our footprint into Japan,” AirAsia Malaysia CEO Fareh Mazputra says. “This route not only reflects our continued commitment to growing Kota Kinabalu as a strategic hub in East Malaysia but also provides greater travel flexibility for our guests across the region.”
QantasLink will begin flights from Perth to Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on Nov. 3 under a five-year partnership with the Australian government covering both passenger and dedicated freight services. The new connections will operate 2X-weekly using Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, providing essential links for more than 2,500 residents across both territories while supporting local communities, government operations, tourism and freight. Qantas says the partnership will also make the remote Indian Ocean destinations more accessible to travelers by linking them to the airline’s domestic and international network.
Wizz Air will add 15 new routes from Romania for the 2025-26 winter season, its largest expansion in the country to date. The new services include Bucharest Otopeni to Berlin, Prague, Bordeaux, Turku and Faro; Cluj-Napoca to Marrakesh, Stockholm Skavsta, Oslo Sandefjord Torp and Milan Malpensa; Iasi to Copenhagen, Prague, Valencia and Pescara; and Brasov to Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino. With the additions, Wizz will operate 228 routes from 13 Romanian airports, connecting passengers to 85 destinations across 27 countries.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi plans to resume seasonal flights to Yekaterinburg, Russia. The nonstop service will operate 2X-weekly from Oct. 27 through March 27, 2026, linking Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport with Koltsovo International Airport on Mondays and Fridays. The route complements Air Arabia Group’s existing Russia network, which already connects Yekaterinburg to Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
Southwest Airlines will launch nonstop flights between Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) and Chicago Midway International Airport on March 5, 2026, replacing its current Wichita–St. Louis route. The change is part of a broader network realignment in which the carrier is ending St. Louis service from several airports. “For Kansas travelers, the shift to Midway will mean access to more than 75 destinations across the Southwest network,” a statement from ICT says.
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