Welcome to my 138th weekly routes article! I have analyzed subjectively exciting services that began or resumed 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. As I will be away next week, the next article will be on August 20.
This article is about choosing services that intrigue or are particularly significant, not covering them all.
All Nippon is back in Austria
While not a new route, All Nippon’s resumption of Tokyo Haneda to Vienna – a Star Alliance route – is notable, not least because of the operating Boeing 787-9’s Star Wars-liveried celebratory photos.
The capital-to-capital market, which All Nippon only introduced in 2019, runs three times weekly. It coexists with a five-weekly 777-200ER-operated Vienna-Tokyo Narita service by fellow Star member Austrian.
Like most airlines, All Nippon avoids overflying Russian airspace. Consequently, approximately 900 nautical miles (1,667 km) are added to the Vienna non-stop distance each way. In 2020, pre-war and pre-COVID, its block time to Vienna was 12h 5m. Now, it’s 14h 35m.
New airline begins new A310 route
A new route starting with an A310 is rarer than a hen’s teeth. It is rarer still when it involves a new airline. That happened on August 1, when the Iranian carrier Ava Airlines began flights between Tehran Imam Khomeini and Istanbul Airport.
The carrier, which started flying in February 2024, has the 737-500 and MD-83 alongside the A310. The older aircraft are because of sanctions, which impede development and growth.
Ava serves Istanbul daily. It is one of 10+ airlines operating between the Iranian capital and Türkiye’s largest city, both to Istanbul Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side of the vast city. They often have 20+ daily flights each way.

Related
New Airline Begins International Flights With 33-Year-Old Airbus A310
This is the latest information.
Aeromexico is back in South Korea
The Mexican flag carrier’s Asian network now comprises two destinations. On August 1, Aeromexico reintroduced Seoul Incheon flights, which coexist with Tokyo Narita. The SkyTeam member last served the South Korean capital in 2022.
The long route to Seoul is served daily on the Boeing 787-8. Partly due to Mexico City’s hot and high conditions that reduce take-off performance with a strong payload, it stops in Monterrey on its way to, but not from, Asia.
In the current week, AM90 leaves Mexico City at 20:35, arrives in Monterrey at 22:25, departs at 23:55, and gets to Seoul at 06:00+2. Returning, AM91 leaves at 11:40 and returns home the same day at 10:40.
Including the stopover, Mexico City-Seoul takes 18h 25m, although it’ll rise to 18h 55m soon. It is among the world’s longest one-stop services. However, it is still nearly seven hours short of number one, Singapore Airlines to Houston via Manchester.
Subang regains passenger jet flights
Subang was once the main gateway to Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. However, since most airlines shifted to KLIA years ago, Subang – much closer to downtown – has had a much quieter existence.
Most flights have been domestic on turboprops, interspersed by a smattering of prop-operated international services to Singapore and parts of Thailand and Indonesia. The last regular jet-operated passenger flight was in 2015. In contrast, jet freighters have operated for years.
The return of passenger jet flights occurred when TransNusa inaugurated a daily A320 service from Jakarta – the first flight from the Indonesian capital to Subang in decades. This is part of Subang’s long-awaited rejuvenation, which will also see AirAsia operations from August 30 and Scoot from September 1.

Related
TransNusa Airbus A320 Opens Jakarta Jet Service At Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport
TransNusa continued its recovery from the pandemic and its re-birth by opening the only connection between Jakarta and Subang Airport.
Cabo Verde Airlines jets to Barcelona
The rarely mentioned Cabo Verde Airlines has resumed flying from Sal to Barcelona after 14 years. The 737 MAX 8 serves the 1,958 nautical mile (3,627 km) market weekly.
The route revolves less around the Cape Verdean diaspora in Spain’s second-most populous city and more about tourism to the African nation in partnership with CN Travel. The carrier competes head-to-head with Vueling, which also runs weekly. While Cabo Verde Airlines arrives in Barcelona at 16:40, it’s 02:50 for Vueling. Ouch.
Like many African carriers, Cabo Verde, formerly TACV, has always been a small and financially poor airline. Until the pandemic, it was developing its network as the ‘Icelandair of Africa’ with 757s and partial Icelandic ownership.
Given Sal’s great geographic position, the airline was set up for quick transit flights from Europe to South America and North America to Africa. It’s probably sensible that it no longer pursues that highly ambitious network strategy.

Related
Cabo Verde Airlines Takes 4-Year-Old Ex-Comair Boeing 737 MAX
The carrier is looking to boost its operations with a second narrowbody.
Then there’s…
Many other route launches have occurred in the past week or so. They include ITA Airways from Rome Fiumicino to Jeddah; Xiamen Air to the Maldives, alongside Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur; and Australia’s Jetstar from Perth to Singapore (last served by that unit in 2017).
flydubai has started flying to Basel (but no celebratory photos when this article was written); Ajet Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen-Cairo, Ankara-Astana, and more; flybondi Ushuaia-El Calafate; Saudia Neom Bay to Istanbul Airport, Cairo, and elsewhere; and IndiGo Bengaluru-Abu Dhabi.
Ryanair began Milan Bergamo-Salerno, its first flight to the airport, one of 32 airports it serves in Italy. Shortly after, flights from Turin and London Stansted to Salerno joined it.
Want more?
Among numerous other launches, Thai AirAsia commenced Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Nagoya (it flew from Don Mueang until 2020), while AirAsia X (the Malaysian unit) started Kuala Lumpur-Medinah.
US-Bangla is on Dhaka-Jeddah; Southwest Las Vegas-Albany (last served in 2018); Hainan Airlines Shenzhen-Budapest; Aeromexico Queretero-Atlanta (last served in 2019); AeroItalia Cuneo-Bacau…
That’s it for this edition. See you next time.