Welcome to my 142nd 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 always, this article does not cover all services but rather those that intrigue or are particularly significant.
Korean Air’s new longest European route
Seoul Incheon is reconnected to Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. While Asiana began the link in October 2019—before COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war—the pandemic meant it ended half a year later.
It returned on September 11, 2024, this time with Korean Air
, which is set to merge with Asiana pending the final authorizations. Boeing 787-9-operated flights run three times weekly year-round, with Lisbon being the 16th European airport to receive Korean Air’s passenger jets (including charter destinations).
Unsurprisingly, Korean Air flights avoid Russian airspace. Doing so means Seoul-Lisbon covers an estimated 6,300 nautical miles (11,668 km) each way, around 12% longer than flying over Russia. The consequences are obvious. Lisbon is Korean Air’s new longest European route, replacing Madrid. However, it is ‘only’ its ninth-longest networkwide.
flydubai serves 2 more Iranian cities
Fast-growing narrowbody operator flydubai
has inaugurated flights to two more destinations from Dubai International. On September 7, it took off for Kish Island, a free-trade area and a special zone of Iran with a significantly more relaxed visa regime than the mainland.
At just 107 nautical miles (198 km), it is flydubai’s new shortest route from its home airport. It runs four times weekly on the 737 MAX 8, with flights typically taking 25 to 35 minutes. Multiple Iranian carriers have served the very short airport pair over the years. Iran Air last served it in 2022 on the ATR 72.
On September 9, flydubai began flying to Kerman, Iran, just 312 nautical miles (578 km) away. Twice-weekly flights use the 737-800, with the MAX 8 first appearing in October. It will be all-MAX from November. It seems the route was last served in 2017 by Mahan Air’s BAe 146s. flydubai now serves eight Iranian cities.
Qantas says G’day to Vanuatu
Sitting in the UK, everything about the Pacific seems positively exciting. On September 10, Qantas
began flying from Brisbane, the Queensland capital, to Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is the first time Australia’s largest airline has served the 1,022 nautical mile (1,893 km) market—and Port Vila at all. However, its lower-cost unit, Jetstar, has served the country for a while.
Qantas operates three times weekly on the 737-800. QF159 departs from Queensland at 11:20 and arrives at 15:05 local time, while QF160 leaves at 16:10 and gets back at 18:15. It competes with Virgin’s daily service and—most exotically—Solomon Airlines’ Thursday-only A320 operation. Air Vanuatu operated until earlier this year.
Norse Atlantic to Las Vegas
The widebody-only operator Norse Atlantic
has introduced its first flights to Nevada. On September 12, it began flying between London Gatwick—its main airport—and Las Vegas, becoming its fifth US destination. It has not scheduled any further routes to Sin City.
The long-haul, low-cost carrier serves Las Vegas three times weekly, becoming the third regular non-stop operator from London. In 2023, about 450,000 people flew between the two cities.
Norse’s leg to Sin City has flight number Z0777. Of course, 777 does not reflect its aircraft type—it uses the 787-9—but rather Las Vegas’s renowned nature as a gambling location.
Barcelona gains 4th airline from Seoul
This is probably the first time two South Korean stories have appeared in my weekly articles. First, there was Korean Air to Lisbon, and then there is T’Way to Barcelona.
While low-cost carrier T’Way has recently started many European routes, Barcelona is its latest addition—and, for now at least, its last. It is currently served three times weekly on the airline’s pretty low-capacity 246-seat A330-200s, but it rises to four times weekly in the winter. The launch came shortly after it began flights to Paris CDG.
Photo: Aena
T’way is the fourth airline—yes, the fourth—between Seoul and Barcelona. It joins Air Premia, Asiana, and Korean Air. Barcelona, Spain’s second-most populous city, tourist highlight, and cruise location, is one of three European airports with a quartet of operators, alongside CDG and Frankfurt. Of course, a European airline is present in those cases.
Then there’s…
Many other route launches have occurred in the past week or so. They include Aerus, which started three Texas routes from Monterrey on September 12: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, and Laredo.
WestJet began flying between Winnipeg and Nashville four days later, although with the following rather uninspiring celebratory image. Delta has celebrated 45 years of serving Daytona Beach, although notice the rather optimistic aircraft on the following cake! Ha.
Lucky Air introduced Lijiang-Kuala Lumpur, Uganda Airlines Entebbe to Abuja (operated triangularly with Lagos), and Aerolíneas Argentinas took off from Córdoba to Punta Cana (7h+ on the 737 MAX 8). Air India is back on Delhi-Kuala Lumpur after last serving the route 18 years ago on the A310.
Air India Express started Thiruvananthapuram-Riyadh flights and Flair Toronto-Guadalajara, while KLM celebrated 95 years of flying from Amsterdam to Budapest and Nuremberg. flynas is now on Medinah to Bahrain (where I will be next month for Routes World) and Doha; AirAsia is now in Lucknow…
That’s it for this week. See you next time.