Welcome to my 100th weekly routes newsletter! Since the first edition came out in August 2021, over 1,500 new routes have been written about. They’ve had over 2.5 million views on Simple Flying’s website and via my weekly newsletter. To celebrate, I’ve gone back over the weeks and found five of my favorite launches – including new carriers. Why not sign up and receive my newsletter in your email inbox every week?
JetBlue to Europe: from August 2021
Doesn’t time fly? All-narrowbody JetBlue launched its first Europe service in August 2021 from New York JFK to London Heathrow. Then JFK-London Gatwick began in September 2021; Boston-Gatwick in August 2022 (I was on the first flight, as shown below); and Boston-Heathrow in September 2022.
Photo: James Pearson I Simple Flying.
JFK-Paris CDG joined them in June 2023 and Amsterdam in August. With the September 2023 launch of Boston-Amsterdam, JetBlue’s Boston hub – its second most-served airport network-wide – is now linked to three European destinations, one fewer than JFK. It is unclear if/when Boston-CDG will begin, but it presumably will. This September, JetBlue operates just one in 77 flights from the US to Europe.
Two carriers launch Auckland-JFK
In September 2022, Air New Zealand inaugurated the first-ever non-stop scheduled service from Auckland and New York JFK. Covering 8,828 miles (14,207 km), it continues to operate three weekly using the three-class, 275-seat Boeing 787-9.
Photo: via Auckland Airport.
Among the world’s longest non-stop services, NZ2 departs from New Zealand at 19:40 and arrives in JFK at 18:55 the same day, a block time of 16h 15m. Returning, NZ1 leaves at 20:55, coming back two days later at 07:55 (a considerable 17h 35m). The flight numbers were, of course, previously used to/from London.
While this is notable in itself, it is doubly so given Qantas launched flights – beginning and ending in Sydney with fifth-freedom traffic rights – in June 2023. It also runs three weekly with the Boeing 787-9 but on different days. It marked Qantas’ return to the Big Apple, having last served the city via Los Angeles in early 2020.
Photo: via Qantas.
Akasa Air started in August 2022
August 7th, 2022, marked the first commercial flight of India’s Akasa Air. That first day intentionally had minimal flying – just four sectors (two roundtrips) on the short 275 miles (442km) route between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The first flight was QP1101, which took off from Mumbai at 10:34. The last was QP1108, which landed back in Mumbai at 17:36.
Photo: via Akasa Air.
Some 13 months later, the airline has 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. Between September and December 2023, its network involves 17 Indian airports (Bengaluru is the most-served) and 36 routes (Bengaluru-Mumbai is number one), all domestic for now. Akasa Air is India’s seventh-largest domestic carrier, with 3.4% of the enormous domestic market’s flights in these months.
Spirit’s first Miami service: October 2021
While ULCC Spirit has long revolved around Fort Lauderdale, its first Miami service began in October 2021. Nine routes operated that first month: Atlantic City; Atlanta; Bogotá; Baltimore; Newark; Guatemala City; Medellín; Port-au-Prince; and Santo Domingo.
Photo: via Spirit.
Nearly two years later, Spirit is Miami’s third-largest short-haul operator by flights, although it has only 5.2% of the market this September-December. This is not helped by flights being 15% lower than last year.
Its Miami network encompasses 18 destinations in these few months, but only three of the original nine routes (Atlanta, Baltimore, Newark) remain. All 18 are also served from nearby Fort Lauderdale.
G’day, Bonza!
Towards the start of the year, Bonza – the airline for “Allstralia,” as it seeks to open up the country – took off on its first commercial service. Using Boeing 737 MAX 8s, Bonza is – like many (U)LCCs globally – focused on unserved routes, most not previously served by any carrier. It has three bases at the Sunshine Coast (its first base), Melbourne, and the Gold Coast (opening soon).
Photo: via Bonza.
It plans 102 weekly departures on 38 routes this coming Southern Hemisphere summer. Some 87% of routes will not face another carrier, while 84% will be served twice- to three-weekly. Its latest additions (when writing) are Darwin to the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Not only are they its first and second longest routes, but they will also operate overnight back to the East Coast, the first time the carrier has had such service.
I was delighted to have contributed to Bonza’s launch, albeit in a small way. My role involved market gaps and route data, which fed into a demand stimulation model to show predicted demand, required frequencies, schedules, and ultimately into the profit and loss projections that helped gain funding. I also regularly critiqued the business plan. Please find me on LinkedIn.
That’s it for the 100th edition of my routes newsletter. Here’s to the next 100! Sign up to receive my newsletter each week.