Summary
- Smaller airlines like Atlantic Airways and Azores Airlines fill unique transatlantic flight niches.
- Air Algerie’s state-owned status allows it to offer transatlantic routes somewhat motivated by non-financial factors.
- Air Serbia, fully government-owned, offers transatlantic flights to two US destinations.
Transatlantic
flights
are no laughing matter, as they are incredibly long, complex journeys that require numerous redundancy systems to be in place, as well as multiple different approvals from aerospace regulators. As a result, the investment costs required to commence transatlantic service can be significant, barring most smaller airlines from ever starting such flights.
Nonetheless, transatlantic air travel is a crucial link that ties together Europe and North America, two of the globe’s most economically, culturally, and politically interconnected regions. As flights from major cities to other major cities are common, established legacy carriers as well as some long-haul low-cost airlines will have well-known transatlantic networks.
Photo: Sven Hansche | Shutterstock
However, some smaller airlines will still operate transatlantic flights, whether due to government financial sponsorship or the presence of a unique market that may make such flights appealing. These services will often serve out-of-the-way destinations, or operate connections that the legacy carriers have chosen to ignore. Here are five airlines that you may not have known to fly transatlantic.
1
Atlantic Airways
Notable transatlantic route:
- Vagar Airport (FAE) to New York Stewart International Airport (SWF)
Atlantic Airways, the flag carrier of the Faroe Islands, is a unique airline that operates both domestic helicopter services within the island chain as well as international flights to destinations across Europe and even one service across the Atlantic to the United States.
The publicly traded carrier, which is listed on the Nasdaq Iceland exchange, also has a little-known search and rescue (SAR) arm that operates out of its home base at Vagar Airport.
Photo: KennoCaptures | Shutterstock
The airline’s single transatlantic flight to New York’s fourth (and certainly least well-known) airport is routinely one of the most overlooked services across the North Atlantic. The flight is operated by one of the carrier’s
Airbus A320neo
jets, which can accommodate 174 passengers onboard.
2
Azores Airlines
Notable transatlantic route:
- Ponta Delgada – Joao Pãolo II Airport (PDL) to New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Ponta Delgada – Joao Pãolo II Airport (PDL) to Montreal – Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
The Portuguese airline Azores Airlines is the flag carrier of the Azores Islands, an archipelago located off the coast of Portugal that is administered by the European country. The carrier, which was formerly known as SATA Internacional, operates international flights to European destinations, as well as multiple connections back to the Portuguese mainland.
From a hub at Joao Pãolo Airport on the island of São Miguel, the carrier also operates flights to multiple different destinations in North America, alongside additional seasonal flights to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK).
In the past, the carrier’s US network was even more extensive, including flights to Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport (PVD). The carrier operates a flight of Airbus A320ceo and A320neo family aircraft.
3
Air Algerie
Notable transatlantic route:
- Houari Boumediene International Airport (ALG) to Montreal – Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Air Algerie is the flag carrier of Algeria and maintains its headquarters at Houari Boumediene International, the principal airport serving the Algerian capital city. With scheduled international services to nearly 40 destinations across Afro-Eurasia, the carrier’s fleet of nearly 60 aircraft is certainly busy at work.
Photo: Cristian Storto | Shutterstock
The airline’s sole transatlantic service connects the nation’s capital to Montreal, a major French-speaking Canadian city with a sizable diaspora community and noteworthy cultural ties, as described by the Canadian government. As a state-owned airline, some routes, such as this transatlantic service, may be supported by political incentives, as opposed to strictly financial ones.
4
Uzbekistan Airways
Notable transatlantic route:
- Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Uzbekistan Airways, the flag carrier of the Central Asian nation, is a modestly sized airline based out of the nation’s capital of Tashkent. With numerous domestic destinations, the carrier also operates a steadily growing international network.
Photo: Telsek | Shutterstock
In total, the airline operates flights to 58 different global destinations with a fleet of over 33 aircraft. The carrier’s nonstop route to New York City, which stands out as one of the longest in its network, is operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
5
Air Serbia
Notable transatlantic routes:
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) to New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) to Chicago – O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Air Serbia, another flag carrier to make this list, was previously known as Jat Airways until a 2013 rebranding and is headquartered in Belgrade, according to the Centre for Aviation. The carrier operates transatlantic flights to two different US destinations, with scheduled A330 service to both Chicago and New York.
Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky | Shutterstock
The airline, which operates a fleet of 34 aircraft, serves 81 different destinations across the globe. The carrier is fully owned by the Government of Serbia and partners with Etihad Airways’ frequent flyer program.