Route launches are exciting, particularly if they’re somehow different or unusual. The significance increases if they have not had any scheduled flights before. A selection of handpicked launches make Simple Flying’s weekly celebratory new routes article.

Using Cirium Diio data to examine every scheduled transatlantic passenger airport pair shows that nine new or returning markets launched between April 30 and May 6. That is a very high number in just one week. Pleasingly, they involve a diverse range of operators: Cabo Verde Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Finnair, ITA Airways, LOT Polish, United Airlines, and WestJet.

European Airlines Begin Three Routes

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On May 1, ITA Airways, which succeeded the now-defunct Alitalia, took off from Rome Fiumicino to Houston Intercontinental. It was the first time this market had ever been served. Initially running three times weekly, flights jump to five times weekly from June, before decreasing back to the original level for the winter. All flights use the 291-seat A330-900, which is the foundation of ITA’s widebody fleet.

Despite having no nonstop flights until now, the local Rome-Houston market is reasonably sized. Booking data shows over 56,000 passengers traveled last year. It was Rome’s largest unserved US market (after Orlando), and Houston’s top unserved European city. ITA will grow this traffic volume from nonstop flights, its codeshare agreement with fellow Star member United, and passengers connecting elsewhere via the Italian capital.

On May 4, when this article was written, Finnair will resume flights between Helsinki and Toronto. It marks a return to Canada, with Toronto previously part of the oneworld member’s network in 2015. Finnair’s seasonal operation runs three times weekly using the A330-300. The final departure of the year will be on August 29. To facilitate onward connectivity, Toronto flights are timed amid the carrier’s busiest banks of North American departures and arrivals.

Two days later, LOT Polish will lift off from Warsaw to San Francisco, which is another Star Alliance link. The route was originally announced in 2020 but did not launch because of the pandemic. The brand-new market runs seasonally through October. Four weekly flights are available, with both the 787-8 and 787-9 deployed in almost equal measure. To maximize connectivity, a split schedule exists, with different times depending on the day. In 2025, San Francisco was Warsaw’s second-largest unserved US market, after Washington Dulles.

Five Transatlantic Additions By Three North American Airlines

Credit: United Airlines

On April 30, United took off from Newark to Split, Croatia. It became Split’s first ever long-haul operation and, therefore, the first time a North American carrier has operated there. The seasonal service runs three times weekly on the 167-seat 767-300ER. It has contributed to record capacity between North America and Croatia this year.

On May 1, WestJet arrived in Portugal for the first time. It operates from Halifax to Lisbon, and is, unsurprisingly, the first time that market has been served. Due to Lisbon’s renowned lack of slots, Canada’s second-largest airline operates to Europe during the day, and leaves for home at around 6 AM the following day. Ouch. Despite almost no onward connectivity from Halifax, a very bullish five weekly seasonal operation exists. It will be interesting to see what changes, if any, materialize for 2027.

On the same day, United introduced its second brand-new European route in two days. It is from Newark, which is its leading transatlantic gateway, to Bari, Italy. Flights run four times weekly using the 167-seat 767-300ER. Until 2025, Bari did not have US service. Neos operated weekly to New York JFK for one season, but would not have been able to compete effectively with United.

On May 6, the final day in the examined period, Delta will take off from Boston to Madrid (daily A330-900) and Seattle to Rome (four weekly A330-900). Spain’s capital will now have a record three airlines operating from Boston. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines only just started flying to Rome, which was its first European route. That market has gone from zero airlines in the past to two operators in barely a week.

Finally, This Tiny African Airline Returns To North America

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

After a five-year absence, the little-discussed Cabo Verde Airlines returns to the US on May 4. Flights resumed later than originally planned, potentially for political reasons, as elections take place in May.

As in previous years, it flies to Providence, as Rhode Island and Massachusetts have a considerable number of Cape Verdean Americans. Flights usually originate in Praia and operate via Sal. In all cases, the 737 MAX 8 is used. Flights leave Providence in the afternoon and return to Africa during the very early morning the following day.