The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.
Feb. 27
TAP Air Portugal has confirmed plans to expand its network, including new long-haul routes to Orlando, Curitiba and Sao Luis do Maranhao. The carrier will launch a 3X-weekly Lisbon-Orlando service from Oct. 29, strengthening its North American network. In Brazil—its largest international market—TAP will mark 60 years of operations by adding Lisbon-Curitiba from July 2 (3X-weekly using Airbus A330-200s) and Lisbon-Sao Luis do Maranhao from Oct. 26 (2X-weekly using A321LRs). Frequencies to Porto Alegre and Florianopolis will also increase. CEO Luís Rodrigues says the airline will also expand its strategic focus on Porto. Under its “TAP with the North” plan, the airline will add Porto routes to Terceira, Praia and Tel Aviv, and make Porto-Boston year-round.
Wizz Air will launch 4X-weekly seasonal service between Warsaw Chopin Airport and Zadar from June 9, adding a new Croatian destination to its Polish network. The route, operated with Airbus A321neo aircraft, will run during the summer season and marks Zadar’s debut as a Wizz Air station.
Centrum Air will launch a 2X-weekly service between Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Osh, Kyrgyzstan, from April 1. The route will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays using Airbus A320-family aircraft. The airline says schedules have been structured to facilitate onward connections via Tashkent to destinations across Uzbekistan and to international points including Male, Guangzhou, Istanbul, Dubai and Nha Trang.
Korean Air will deploy the Boeing 787-10 on the Seoul Incheon-Zurich route from June 2, marking the 50th anniversary of its Zurich service. The route will operate three times per week between March 31 and Oct. 24.
Feb. 26
Qantas will launch nonstop service between Sydney and Las Vegas from Dec. 29, becoming the first airline to operate a route between Australia and the Nevada city. The seasonal service will operate three times per week through March 12, 2027, using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Las Vegas becomes Qantas’ 101st destination and its eighth in the Americas. “Australians’ appetite for international travel continues to be incredibly strong,” Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace says. The route is timed to coincide with major events including technology trade show CES and the NRL rugby league season opener in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says Australia is its second-largest overseas market, with more than 250,000 annual visitors.
AirAsia will commence daily service between Kuala Lumpur and Batam, Indonesia, from March 13. The new route links Kuala Lumpur with Hang Nadim International Airport, where international arrivals reached nearly 140,000 in 2025, up 64% year-on-year. AirAsia expects to carry more than 22,000 passengers on the route within the first three months. The LCC carried nearly three million passengers between Malaysia and Indonesia in 2025 and now operates 19 routes connecting the countries.
Etihad Airways plans to introduce its Airbus A380 on the Abu Dhabi-Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) route for the first time in October, increasing capacity on the carrier’s daily evening service ahead of the winter peak. “With the A380 flying to Bangkok, we’re offering greater choice and significant additional capacity on one of our most popular leisure routes,” says Etihad Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that Etihad currently serves BKK 36X-weekly using a mix of Boeing 777-300ER, 787-9, 787-10, Airbus A350-1000 and A321neo aircraft.
Ryanair intends to offer a record summer 2026 schedule at Forlì, Parma and Rimini in Italy, adding nine new routes and increasing annual capacity by 50% following the Emilia-Romagna region’s decision to abolish the municipal surcharge at smaller airports. The Irish ULCC will operate 20 routes across the three airports, including new services from Forlì to Cagliari and London Stansted; from Parma to Tirana, Reggio Calabria and London Stansted; and from Rimini to Wroclaw, Manchester, Cologne and Catania. Ryanair expects to add more than 250,000 seats annually, carrying over 660,000 passengers per year. Routes Europe 2026 will be held in Rimini from May 18-20.
Delta Air Lines is restoring seasonal Saturday nonstop service between Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport from May 9 through Aug. 8, reinstating a route last served in October 2021. The flights will be operated with a 76-seat CRJ-900 aircraft.
Feb. 25
Breeze Airways will add Birmingham, Alabama, and Tallahassee, Florida, to its network beginning in July, alongside more than a dozen new nonstop routes, including expanded intra-Florida flying. “For nearly five years, Breeze has been filling a long-overlooked gap in the industry by connecting underserved markets with affordable, nonstop service,” Breeze CEO David Neeleman says. “The addition of these new cities and routes will give even more travelers the opportunity to save precious hours that would otherwise be spent flying through hubs or driving.” Selected launches include Atlantic City–Tampa (2X-weekly) and Fort Lauderdale–Tampa (13X-weekly) from July 1, 2026, as well as Fort Lauderdale–Tallahassee and Raleigh-Durham–Tallahassee (both 3X-weekly) from July 2. Tallahassee, which hosted TakeOff North America in 2025, will gain 3X-weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale and Raleigh-Durham. Birmingham–Shuttlesworth will see 2X-weekly service to Fort Lauderdale and Raleigh-Durham from July 3.
Air Greenland will launch a new service between Ilulissat and Copenhagen on Oct. 29, coinciding with the opening of Greenland Airports’ new airport in Ilulissat. The inaugural flight will be operated by the carrier’s Airbus A330-800 aircraft. The route will then be operated by Jettime using a Boeing 737-800NG until Air Greenland takes delivery of an A320neo in spring 2027. “The new route strengthens accessibility to North Greenland, which we are pleased about as it ensures more direct connections for travelers and at the same time contributes to supporting both tourism and business,” CEO Jacob Nitter Sørensen says. Service will operate weekly on Wednesdays, increasing to 2X-weekly during Christmas, New Year and March 2027.
Volotea has been reselected to operate the French public service obligation route between Tarbes-Lourdes and Paris Orly for a further four years, extending the contract through 2030. The carrier will continue to operate the route with 2X-daily Airbus A319 flights, representing around 230,000 seats annually and more than 910,000 seats over the contract period. Since opening its Lourdes base in 2022, Volotea has increased capacity by 96% and plans to offer a record 331,000 seats in 2026.
Saudi LCC flyadeal will add three domestic routes from its recently established Madinah base effective March 1, expanding nonstop destinations from the Saudi city to 10. The carrier will introduce services to Jazan, Qassim and Arar, building on existing flights from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport to Abha, Al Hofuf, Dammam, Riyadh, Tabuk, Cairo and Istanbul.
Finnair plans to extend three summer 2026 routes to year-round service, adding winter operations to Luxembourg, Turin, Italy, and Valencia, Spain, as part of its network development strategy. Luxembourg frequencies will increase from 3X-weekly services in summer to 4X-weekly in winter, reflecting demand from business and transfer passengers connecting via Helsinki to the carrier’s broader network. Valencia will maintain 4X-weekly winter frequencies. Turin will operate once a week in winter, rising to twice a week during the peak winter sports season from January to March, compared with 3X-weekly summer flights. Previously announced Stavanger, Norway, and Umea, Sweden, services will also operate year-round.
Feb. 24
Oman Air will launch 2X-weekly nonstop service between Muscat and Tashkent from June 1, marking its eighth new route announcement since December and expanding its footprint in Central Asia. The service is aimed at stimulating point-to-point traffic while supporting Oman’s inbound tourism strategy. CEO Con Korfiatis says the launch reflects the airline’s focus on building “a commercially sustainable network that balances point-to-point demand with strategic growth markets,” adding that Central Asia is of “increasing relevance for both inbound and outbound travel.”
Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas will resume 2X-weekly service from Madrid to Caracas, Venezuela, from March 3. Frequencies are scheduled to rise to 3X-weekly from April 1 and 4X-weekly from July 1. Additionally, the carrier will resume weekly service from Tenerife to Caracas from April 1. The airline suspended Caracas operations after Venezuelan authorities revoked Spanish carriers’ operating licenses.
Air Europa plans to restart seasonal services between Madrid and Tunis, Marrakech, Athens and Alghero, while also launching new summer routes to Bologna and Tangier. From Madrid, the carrier will operate 3X-weekly flights to Bologna in July and August. Service to Tangier will begin June 16 with 3X-weekly frequencies, rising to five in August before ending in mid-September. Air Europa will also reinstate four summer routes. Tunis will see 3X-weekly flights from late May through late September, increasing to five in July and August. Marrakech will operate 2X-weekly from April to mid-October, rising to 5X-weekly in peak summer. Alghero will run three times per week from July 3 to Aug. 30, while Athens will be served daily from mid-June to mid-September. All routes will be operated by Boeing 737 aircraft.
Aer Lingus is expanding its summer 2026 schedule from Cork Airport, Irland, with two new European routes and added regional capacity. The carrier will launch new services to Nice, France, on May 2 and Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on June 1. In addition, its Prague route—previously winter-only—will operate year-round. Additionally, Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Emerald Airlines, will increase Cork-Glasgow frequencies from four to 6X-weekly flights from May 25, adding Tuesday and Wednesday services. The Bristol route will continue daily, with double flights on Mondays and Fridays. The expansion builds on existing Cork services to destinations including Malaga, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Faro, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Bordeaux and London Heathrow.
Feb. 23
Malaysia Airlines will add a third daily nonstop service between Kuala Lumpur and Doha from June 30. The carrier currently operates the route 14X-weekly using a mix of Airbus A330-300 and A350-900 aircraft. It says the additional service reflects sustained demand for travel between Asia and the Middle East. Through Kuala Lumpur and Doha, Malaysia Airlines offers access to more than 120 codeshare destinations, with Hamad International Airport serving as a gateway to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. “The introduction of our third daily service to Doha underscores the strong performance of this route and the strategic importance of our partnership with Qatar Airways,” says Bryan Foong, CEO of airline business at Malaysia Aviation Group. He adds the expansion enhances east-west connectivity, supported by growing frequencies from Australia.
Aeroitalia has announced plans to expand operations at Salerno Amalfi Coast and Cilento Airport with the basing of one Embraer 190 aircraft and the launch of four new domestic routes from May 22. The carrier will operate 2X-daily flights between Salerno and Milan. Additional routes include 2X-weekly flights to Genoa and Trieste, and a 3X-weekly service to Turin. The expansion marks a further step in Aeroitalia’s development of its regional network in southern Italy, enhancing connectivity between Campania and key northern business and leisure markets.
Turkish LCC AJet has launched nonstop service between Istanbul and Rotterdam, expanding its footprint in the Netherlands. The new route connects Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen with Rotterdam The Hague Airport, operating four times per week. The service will target both leisure and VFR demand, as well as growing business ties.
Contour Airlines will launch nonstop service between South Arkansas Regional Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from March 16. The route will operate 18X-weekly. “This new service highlights Contour's commitment to connecting underserved communities with major markets,” Contour Airlines President Ben Munson says. “By launching nonstop flights from South Arkansas Regional Airport to Dallas-Fort Worth, we're giving travelers a convenient, reliable option while maintaining the high level of comfort and service our customers expect.”
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