The Most Notable New Airline Routes This Week

Welcome to the weekly routes article! This week, we've analyzed some of the most exciting new airline services that have recently launched. Here are the highlights:

WestJet's New European Route

WestJet, Canada's second-largest airline, has inaugurated its last new European route for 2024, connecting Halifax to Edinburgh. This 2,321 nautical mile (4,298 km) route operates three times weekly until mid-October using the 174-seat 737 MAX 8. While Halifax has never had direct flights to Edinburgh before, WestJet previously served Glasgow from Halifax between 2015 and 2019 and briefly in 2022. The new Edinburgh service complements WestJet's existing routes from Edinburgh to Calgary and Toronto.

Air Greenland to Iqaluit

Air Greenland has resumed service between Nuuk and Iqaluit after a 10-year hiatus. This unique route, spanning 446 nautical miles (826 km), is the only scheduled service between Greenland and Canada. Operating weekly, the flight uses the rare 37-seat Dash 8-200 aircraft. Departing Nuuk at 14:55 and arriving in Iqaluit at 14:00, the return flight leaves at 15:15, landing back in Nuuk at 20:15. This service is a significant reconnection between the two regions, last linked in 2007.

Jetstar Asia to Broome

Jetstar Asia has launched non-stop flights from Singapore to Broome, Australia, marking the eighth Australian destination served from Singapore. The twice-weekly service runs until the end of October, with flights departing Singapore at 10:00 and returning at 20:15. Previously, SilkAir operated this route minimally in 2018 and 2019. The new service significantly increases capacity, offering 36 roundtrip flights compared to the previous eight.

Five Routes, One Hub, One Day

On June 27, United Airlines' United Express unit commenced five new routes from Washington Dulles, flying to Harrisburg, Mobile, State College, Wilkes/Barre-Scranton, and Philadelphia. The Harrisburg, State College, and Wilkes/Barre-Scranton routes use 50-seat ERJ-145s, while the Philadelphia route also utilizes the E175. Only the Dulles-Mobile route is new; the other routes were previously served from Newark.

Porter's First US Flights from Montreal

Porter Airlines has launched its longest and second-longest routes from Montreal, using its 132-seat Embraer E195-E2s. The Montreal-Los Angeles route, covering 2,149 nautical miles (3,981 km), operates four times weekly. The Montreal-San Francisco route, at 2,206 nautical miles (4,086 km), started the next day and runs three times weekly. These routes reflect Porter's expanding reach and the capabilities of its new aircraft.

Edinburgh Sees Double to Istanbul

Pegasus Airlines has begun flights from Edinburgh to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, adding to Turkish Airlines' existing service to Istanbul Airport. Initially operating thrice weekly, Pegasus will increase to four weekly flights in July, using a mix of A321neo, A320neo, and occasionally 737-800 aircraft. This new route makes Edinburgh Pegasus' fourth UK airport, joining London Stansted, Manchester, and Birmingham.

Additional Notable Route Launches

This week also saw the launch of several other notable routes:

• Austrian Airlines began service from Vienna to Boston.
• American Airlines resumed its New York JFK to Tokyo Haneda route.
• Gulf Air started flights to Munich.
• Ethiopian Airlines commenced flights to Warsaw.
• Aeromexico launched new routes from Mexico City to Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, Tampa, and Washington Dulles.
• Qatar Airways began service to Hamburg.
• Etihad Airways launched Abu Dhabi to Denpasar Bali flights.
• Rex Airlines introduced Perth to Adelaide and Melbourne routes.
• SKY Airlines started Santiago de Chile to Salvador flights.
• Viva Aerobus added Monterrey-San Francisco, Monterrey-Miami, and Merida-Miami routes.

These new routes reflect the ongoing expansion and connectivity in the aviation industry, offering travelers more options and destinations.