Welcome to my 131st weekly routes article! I have analyzed subjectively exciting services that began in the past week or so. As usual, multiple other example launches are listed at the bottom. Click here to see the last jam-packed edition.
This article is about choosing services that intrigue or are particularly significant, not covering them all.
American sees double to Europe
On June 5, American inaugurated Philadelphia to Naples, followed by Philadelphia to Copenhagen the next day. The latter was the oneworld member’s last new European route for summer 2024.
It is the first time American has flown to Naples and Copenhagen, with both routes being summer seasonal. Naples, which will be good for cruise demand, is served daily on the 787-8. It joins Milan, Rome, and Venice to see the carrier’s frames in Italy. The launch came shortly after Delta began New York JFK-Naples.
The start of Philadelphia-Copenhagen means American is in Denmark for the first time. It runs daily on the 787-9. It is American’s only Scandinavian route, a region it has not flown to since it ended Chicago O’Hare-Stockholm in 2001, that most fateful of years. The launch of Naples and Copenhagen follows Philadelphia-Nice, which started in May.
Delta’s first non-stop US-Taiwan service
While Delta previously served Taipei from the US via Tokyo Narita until 2017, it has now started its first non-stop flights. They are from Seattle, with the first Taiwan-bound departure on June 6.
The 5,278 nautical mile (9,775 km) market is served daily by the 281-seat A330-900. Delta’s fourth Seattle-Asia route coexists with Seoul Incheon, Shanghai Pudong, and Tokyo Haneda. It now has four daily Asia-bound departures, albeit two fewer than its previous record.
Naturally, Taipei has head-to-head competition. Delta currently competes directly with EVA Air (nine weekly, but later 10; 777-300ER, 787-10). However, after last serving the route in 2008, China Airlines will return on July 15 (five weekly; A350-900). On August 17, Starlux will start the route (three weekly; A350-900) for a record four non-stop operators. San Francisco has the same, while Los Angeles has three airlines.
Seattle-Taipei will have 25 weekly departures in late August, up from just 10 in the same week in the pre-pandemic 2019. Wow! Which airline will blink first?
Related
Transpacific Airbus A330neo Service: Delta Air Lines Commences Seattle-Taipei Flights
A colleague provides background info in this article.
Emirates begins its new longest route
After much anticipation, Emirates’ first passenger flight has touched down in Colombia. It’s thanks to the June 3 launch of Dubai-Miami-Bogotá, with the route covering 8,126 nautical miles (15,050 km) each way on a Great Circle basis.
Until the daily 777-300ER-operated fifth freedom tag to Bogotá was added, Emirates had 10+ hours on the ground in Florida. Continuing to Colombia is a relatively cheap and pretty low-risk endeavor.
It’s about better utilizing the aircraft, tapping into the enormous Miami-Bogota point-to-point market, and carrying a lot of freight. While the stop in Miami will be a big hassle, it’ll also target the 102,000+ passengers who flew from Bogotá to Africa, Asia, and the Middle East last year. It’ll help to fill seats, as Miami-Dubai only had a 71% LF in 2023.
Related
Over 8,100 Nautical Miles: Emirates’ New Longest Route
This article provides info for you.
Lufthansa’s two new US routes
On June 4, Lufthansa launched Frankfurt-Minneapolis flights. The carrier runs five times weekly on the 787-9, reduced to four in the winter. It is the second carrier on the 3,817 nautical miles (7,070 km) airport pair, joining Condor’s three-weekly summer-only operation.
On June 6, Lufthansa inaugurated Frankfurt-Raleigh Durham, the first time the North Carolina airport has had flights to Germany. It operates five times weekly on the A330-300, reduced to three in the winter. Raleigh Durham has gained Icelandair, Air France, and now Lufthansa in about two years.
Photo: Lufthansa
The duo came shortly after the German Giant introduced flights between Munich and Seattle on May 31. It meant it began three new US routes in a week, which is quite a feat.
Related
Lufthansa Launches 3 New Long-Haul US Routes In 1 Week
They have never been served by Lufthansa before.
Icelandair is back in Halifax
It has taken six years, but Icelandair has finally returned to Halifax. The route from Keflavik has easily become the carrier’s shortest link to Canada and the US. It is also the shortest scheduled Europe-Canada/US service by distance and time.
Initially launched in 2007, the 1,785 nautical mile (3,305 km) service existed until 2018. Now it is back, one of three destinations in Canada and 17 when the US is added. Halifax is served three times weekly in the summer with the 160-seat 737 MAX 8. The last flight of the season will be on October 14.
To maximize two-way connectivity across Europe, FI607 departs Keflavik at 18:35 and arrives in Halifax at 20:30 local (4h 55m). Returning, FI606 leaves at 20:30 and arrives at 04:45+1 (4h 15m).
Related
Icelandair’s Big North American Summer: Now Up To 24 Daily Flights
Never has it had so many flights…
LOT Polish in Saudi Arabia
If it wasn’t for Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program, which subsidizes routes to help with the country’s highly ambitious passenger target, it’s unlikely that LOT Polish would have started flying between Warsaw and Riyadh. But it has, with the first-ever flight between the two capitals on June 4. It started a day after Warsaw-Oradea, Romania.
The brand-new route to Riyadh covers 2,009 nautical miles (3,720 km) each way and has three weekly 737 MAX 8 flights year-round. Of LOT Polish’s 737-operated routes, only Warsaw-Dubai and Tashkent, which also use the MAX 8, are longer.
LO125 leaves the Polish capital at 15:20 and gets to Saudi Arabia at 21:50. After 3h 35m, LO126 leaves at 01:25 and returns at 06:10. It is timed for connections across Europe, which is just as well. Only around 9,000 people flew between Warsaw and Riyadh last year.
Then there’s…
Many other routes have started in the past week or so. Among the long list was Delta beginning seven new and returning routes from Atlanta, along with resuming Salt Lake City-Santa Barbara, JFK-Tel Aviv (the first two flights diverted to Beirut), and more. Qatar Airways is back in Lisbon; ITA has started Rome-Accra; Breeze’s first Dallas/Forth Worth service has touched down; and HiSky inaugurated Bucharest-JFK.
Ethiopian Airlines began Addis Ababa to Maun and returned to Axum, as well as celebrating 10 years of flights to Vienna. Southwest started San Antonio-Burbank, Pittsburgh-San Diego, Dallas Love-Providence, Greenville-Spartanburg to Denver and Nashville (last served in 2014), and more. United has reintroduced Newark-Stockholm, its longest Boeing 757 flight. Pacific Coastal is back on Vancouver-Powell River, and Gulf Air has started weekly Bahrain-Sochi charter flights.
China Southern commenced Shenzhen-Riyadh; Smartwings Prague to Athens and La Palma; Azerbaijan Airlines Baku-Sofia; and Jetstar Asia Singapore-Krabi. American resumed seasonal Chicago O’Hare-Dublin, is back on San Antonio-Philadelphia, having served it until 2020, and started its first Appleton-Dallas/Fort Worth flights.
Want more?
Among numerous other launches were Ryanair from Cork to Rhodes and Zadar, Ostrava-Malaga, Košice-Zadar, and more; HK Express between its namesake country and Clark; Air Cairo from the Egyptian capital to Antalya and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen; and Jet2 from Birmingham to Mitilini.
SunExpress started Izmir-Tirana and others; Freebird Antalya-Tuzla charter flights; Transavia France Marseille-Stockholm; and Scoot began Singapore-Sibu on the E2. Wizz Air introduced Budapest and Tirana to Valencia, alongside others; Norwegian Torp-Barcelona, Aalborg-Nice, and more; Uzbekistan Airways Nukus-Istanbul; Electra Airways Frankfurt-Burgas…
That’s it for this week. See you next time.