Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C April 15, 2024)

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements.

April 17

Starting Aug. 10, American Airlines is opening a new route between Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina and Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB). This route joins the carrier’s existing flights to Québec City to Philadelphia and Chicago. Service between CLT and YQB will operate once a week on Saturdays until Nov. 2. “This new route aligns with our mission to give greater Québec City area travelers even more options, and to provide better connections to destinations such as the Caribbean, Europe, and the whole of the U.S.,” YQB President and CEO Stéphane Poirier says.

HK Express is expanding its Philippines network with the launch of a second route to the country. Flights between Hong Kong and Clark will start on June 6, operating four times per week. Clark joins Manila as the second destination served by the airline in the Philippines. HK Express will compete on the sector with Cebu Pacific, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.

Aerolineas Argentinas is increasing frequencies between Argentina and Brazil after the two countries forged a memorandum of understanding to expand air service. The airline plans to operate 95 weekly services during July and August, up by 12% on the same period last year. Routes include a daily Bariloche-Sao Paulo service and a 2X-weekly San Martin de Los Andes-Sao Paulo flight. “Brazil is the first international market in terms of number of passengers for Aerolíneas Argentinas, and we have a great opportunity to provide more and better options to attract tourists to the more than 35 destinations we have in our country,” CCO Fabián Lombardo says.

April 16

LATAM Airlines Group plans to reintroduce nonstop service between Chile’s capital Santiago and Sydney. Flights will operate four times per week from Oct. 28. The carrier launched direct flights between the cities in 2019, but paused service at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Operations resumed via Auckland in March 2022 with three weekly services. The nonstop route has a flight time of 12 hr. 50 min. using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. “From October, passengers can choose from daily direct services between Australia and Chile, including four direct flights from Sydney and three from Melbourne every week, in addition to our flights via Auckland,” says  Chris Ellis, LATAM Airlines country manager for Oceania.

Pacific Coastal Airlines is opening a new Canadian domestic route between Kelowna and Comox. Flights will start on June 25, operating six times per week using Beechcraft 1900 equipment. “The announcement of this new direct flight to Comox means yet another link for Kelowna to Vancouver Island, which further enhances regional connectivity and provides more opportunities for economic growth,” Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas says. Pacific Coastal Airlines also serves Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island from Kelowna.

IndiGo is adding a new route between Chandigarh, India, and Abu Dhabi. Operations will begin on May 15 with daily flights. “With the addition of these flights, IndiGo will now operate 63 weekly flights to Abu Dhabi from nine cities in India, promoting travel, trade, tourism and fostering the abundant socio-cultural diversity between the two countries,” says Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo head of global sales.

El Al Israel Airlines has inaugurated a new service to Florida. Flights between Tel Aviv and Fort Lauderdale will operate twice a week using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The new route means the airline now serves six destinations in the U.S., according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.

April 15

LOT Polish Airlines is opening a new public service obligation route between Warsaw and Oradea, Romania. The carrier will launch flights on June 3, operating four times per week using Embraer E170 and E175 aircraft, capable of accommodating 76-86 passengers. Should demand surge, LOT may deploy E190s and E195s on the sector. “Oradea is the third Romanian destination within LOT Polish Airlines' scheduled network, after Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. Residents of the Bihor region will not only enjoy a connection to Warsaw, but also easy transfers to ports in Poland, Western Europe and North America,” says Robert Ludera, LOT network development director. LOT will receive subsidies for four years to operate commercial flights between Warsaw and Oradea.

Kazakhstan’s Air Astana has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italian airline Neos. The partnership will include a codeshare agreement under which Air Astana will add its marketing code to Neos-operated flights between Milan Malpensa and Almaty and vice versa, as well as service collaboration on Boeing aircraft from 2025, when Air Astana Group will receive delivery of three Boeing 787-900s. The parties will also consider and evaluate the formation of a joint venture for routes between Italy and Kazakhstan, where regulatory, anti-trust and governmental authority permits.

Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) has confirmed that Nile Air plans to introduce a 3X-weekly service from Cairo starting on June 28. Flights will operate using Airbus A320 aircraft on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. “This service not only facilitates nonstop travel to Egypt’s historic capital, but also offers convenient onward connections to several destinations in the Gulf,” a statement issued by BGY says. Seven airlines will now operate between Milan Bergamo and North Africa, offering more than 660,000 seats annually to travelers.

Brazil and the UK have signed a new air services agreement. The move allows airlines from each country to freely determine the offering of bilateral flights for passengers and cargo. It also provides additional traffic rights for cargo services, allow enabling cargo airlines to operate to and from third countries. “The new agreement, which will be forwarded for consideration to the National Congress, will provide greater legal certainty for companies operating routes between Brazil and the UK, thereby contributing to increasing bilateral trade and tourism flow,” a statement from Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says.