The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
May 30
Saudi LCC flynas will launch flights between Riyadh and Damascus beginning June 5, marking the airline’s return to the Syrian capital. “We are pleased to resume our flights to Syria,” says flynas CEO and MD Bander Almohanna. “We previously operated direct flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia, reaffirming our commitment to strengthening the connectivity between the two brotherly nations.”
Delta Air Lines has launched two new seasonal international routes from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), expanding its European network. The airline has inaugurated the airport’s first-ever nonstop service to Copenhagen, with flights operating three times a week onboard Airbus A330-300 aircraft. It has also launched seasonal service to Rome, with four weekly departures on the same aircraft type. Additionally, Delta has opened nonstop service between Boston Logan International Airport and Barcelona. The route, which operates three times a week, complements Delta’s existing Barcelona flights from New York JFK (12X-weekly) and Atlanta (10X-weekly), and will be operated with a 281-seat Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.
Virgin Atlantic will expand its seasonal service between Edinburgh and Orlando next summer, adding 12 extra rotations and nearly 5,000 additional seats. The move will see flights operate from April through the end of October 2025, with up to three departures per week.
May 29
QantasLink will add two routes from Perth later this year, adding direct services to Newcastle and Hobart to strengthen connectivity for Western Australia’s resource sector and tourism industry. The Perth–Newcastle route will begin Sept. 8 and operate three times a week, becoming the only nonstop service between the two cities. QantasLink says the route will provide more than 45,000 seats annually, supporting fly-in, fly-out workers and mining customers. Flights to Hobart will be reinstated from Sept. 26, operating three times per week (except in May, June and August) and adding 32,000 seats annually. Both services will use 150-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.
Dominican Republic-based Arajet is expanding its U.S. footprint with the launch of new nonstop service between Punta Cana International Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport, beginning Oct. 26, 2025. “Launching service in Orlando marks another important milestone for Arajet as we continue our rapid growth across the U.S.,” Arajet CEO and founder Víctor Pacheco says. “Florida is a cornerstone of our expansion strategy, and Orlando is the perfect place to strengthen our U.S. footprint.” The route will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
SCAT Airlines has launched new nonstop service between Shymkent, Kazakhstan, and Munich Airport (MUC). The route will be served twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “The new direct connection to Kazakhstan not only strengthens our route network to Central Asia, but also underscores the region's growing importance for international air traffic,” said Thomas Kube, head of route and passenger development at MUC.
Starting Dec. 20, TUI Airways will launch new weekly Saturday flights from both Brussels and Düsseldorf to Scandinavian Mountains Airport, serving the ski destinations of Sälen in Sweden and Trysil in Norway. The carrier has also resumed flights from Southampton Airport, England, to Palma de Mallorca, marking the route’s first departure in 15 years.
May 28
LOT Polish Airlines has launched ticket sales for a new year-round route between Warsaw and Malaga, with the inaugural flight scheduled for Jan. 15, 2026. The route will operate four times per week during the winter season using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, increasing to 6X-weekly flights from Feb. 24. “The launch of our new Malaga route directly reflects genuine market demand and marks a significant step forward in improving connections between Poland and Andalusia,” says LOT director of network planning, Robert Ludera. Malaga becomes LOT's third year-round Spanish destination, alongside Madrid and Barcelona.
TUI Airways will commence a new service from Birmingham Airport to Budapest on May 4, 2026. The summer route will be offered once a week, operating on Mondays. Chris Logan, commercial director at TUI UK, says the route supports growing demand for TUI River Cruises and the company’s Lakes & Mountains holidays.
Avianca has opened a new route between Bogotá and Dallas, operating four times per week. “With the opening of this important direct route between Bogotá and Dallas, we are offering more options for our travelers,” Avianca CEO Frederico Pedreira says. “We now serve 14 destinations in the U.S.” The Bogotá-Dallas route brings Avianca’s U.S. network to 43 routes from Colombia, Central America and Ecuador.
SCAT Airlines has inaugurated a new route between Shymkent, Kazakhstan, and Budapest, marking the airline's debut at the Hungarian airport. The 2X-weekly service, operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays, will use Boeing 737-8 aircraft. “This new service not only strengthens our network but also opens up valuable travel opportunities for both business and leisure passengers,” Budapest Airport CCO Markus Klaushofer says.
Icelandic carrier Play has opened reservations for flights between Reykjavik and Agadir, Morocco. Flights will commence on Dec. 19, operating weekly on Fridays through mid-April 2026.
American Airlines will introduce nonstop service between Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, starting Oct. 6. The new route will operate 2X-daily using Embraer 175 aircraft. “It’s encouraging to see American Airlines continuing to respond to the needs of our market, and we’re excited to offer even more economic value to the community,” says Chattanooga Airport President and CEO April Cameron.
May 27
Air Transat is expanding its transatlantic network with the extension of its Bordeaux and Valencia routes into the winter 2025-26 season. Previously operated only in summer, both routes will now run year-round with weekly nonstop Saturday flights from Montréal Trudeau starting Feb. 21, 2026, aboard Airbus A321LR aircraft.
Copa Airlines is resuming service between Panama and Venezuela from May 27, following authorization from Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aviation. The airline will initially operate one daily flight between Panama City and Caracas. This restart marks the normalization of air travel between the two countries after Venezuela’s government suspended commercial operations between them in July 2024.
Lion Air will launch a new nonstop domestic route between Makassar and Pontianak starting June 8 as part of its commitment to improving interisland connectivity across Indonesia. The service will operate four times weekly—on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays—using Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.
Malaysia’s Batik Air will launch its first international service from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport—also known as Subang Airport—on July 28, marking a major step in its plan to develop the city airport into a regional hub. The airline will begin daily flights to Bangkok Don Mueang, alongside a new domestic route to Kuching.
Air Seychelles has resumed commercial service to the Middle East after a six-year break, launching flights to Abu Dhabi from Mahé. Frequencies will be 6X-weekly using Airbus A320 equipment. “This achievement signifies more than just the return of a route, it represents our renewed commitment to connecting Seychelles with key international markets, opening new horizons for our travelers,and supporting our economy through increased tourism and business opportunities,” Air Seychelles CEO Sandy Benoiton says.
May 26
WestJet has launched a new nonstop service between St. John’s and Dublin Airport (DUB), restoring a transatlantic link between Ireland and Canada’s east coast for summer 2025. Service will be twice a week. “WestJet will offer more than 20 departures per week from Dublin in summer 2025 and will have more than 200,000 seats on sale, reflecting the growing demand between Ireland and Canada,” says DUB vice president for aviation business development, Eoin McGloughlin.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced a new seasonal route connecting Abu Dhabi and Giza, Egypt, with flights operating from June 26 through Sept. 11. The LCC will offer 3X-weekly flights between Zayed International Airport and Sphinx International Airport, near Cairo, using Airbus A320 aircraft. “This route supports our broader strategy of offering greater convenience and reliable travel options across key regional markets,” Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali says.
China Eastern Airlines has launched a new route connecting Lanzhou, the capital of China’s Gansu Province, to Kuala Lumpur, marking the first nonstop air link between the two cities. The new service operates three times per week using a 156-seat Airbus A320 and complements the carrier’s existing daily flights between Kunming and Kuala Lumpur.
JetBlue Airways has expanded its transatlantic network with the launch of two new nonstop routes from Boston Logan International Airport to Madrid and Edinburgh. The daily seasonal flights will operate through October 25, 2025, marking JetBlue’s debut in Spain and its latest step in growing its European footprint from Boston. “As we grow across the Atlantic from Boston, we're also making it easier to connect to more of our network across the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean,” says Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of revenue, network and enterprise planning at JetBlue.
Qantas is boosting trans-Tasman capacity by up to 20% during the December 2025–January 2026 holiday period, adding nearly 60,000 extra seats compared to the same time last year. The airline will increase frequencies on several key routes, including Sydney to Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.
Related Content
