dailynewsnblog
Welcome to my 209th weekly routes article! Over 50 routes started in the examined period. But as always, only a small selection is included in this article. Seven mini-stories were chosen; all the services launched between May 13 and May 19.
Four Transatlantic Routes Started In Just Two Days
On May 15, the Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat took off from Ottawa, Canada’s capital, to London Gatwick (three weekly A321LR). Interestingly, Air Canada has just revealed that it’ll switch its Ottawa-London Heathrow to the A321XLR. The Gatwick route was last part of Air Transat’s network between 2011 and 2014, when the A310 – which was its smallest equipment – was used.
On the same day, WestJet inaugurated two routes: Halifax to Madrid (three to four weekly 737 MAX 8), which is a brand-new market, and Toronto to Glasgow (four weekly 737 MAX 8), which was last on its map in 2022. It plays an important role in Glasgow’s resurgent capacity to/from North America.
Then there’s 
Delta Air Lines from Boston to Nice, which launched on May 16 (three weekly A330-300). This is another never-before-served city pair. It is always particularly good to see them. It contributes to Delta having a record number of transatlantic seats from its Boston hub this summer.
4 New Transatlantic Routes In 2 Days: Where WestJet, Delta & Air Transat Fly Now
Half of the routes are brand-new. Find out all about them here!
British Airways Arrives In Montenegro
It has taken 20 years, but London Heathrow has welcomed the return of flights to Tivat, which is the gateway to some gorgeous places. Last served by Air Serbia until 2006, the route is now in the hands of 
British Airways (three weekly A320ceo).
It appears to be the first time that the oneworld member has served Montenegro. In 2019, it had announced flights to the capital, Podgorica, which were to commence in 2020, but the pandemic meant that idea was shelved.
The appeal of Tivat to BA is not surprising, as it is a pretty high-yielding place. Despite only covering 954 nautical miles (1,767 km) each way, the carrier’s fares are usually at least £400 return (US$530).
BA is now the third airline operating between London and Tivat, which had around 40,000 passengers last year. It joins easyJet from Luton and Gatwick and Jet2 from Gatwick. It is the first time that a trio of carriers has served the market since Montenegro Airlines ceased serving Gatwick in 2021.
Southwest Makes Debut In Alaska
History was made on May 15, when 
Southwest began flying to Alaska for the first time since the carrier’s first flight 56 years ago. The increasingly evolving airline has two routes: Denver (daily) and Las Vegas (daily). Flights operate overnight back to the Lower 48, which allows for considerable onward connectivity via the respective airports.
Southwest competes directly with United and Alaska Airlines from Colorado and Alaska Airlines from Nevada. It is the first time since 2021 that three airlines have operated between Denver and Alaska’s most populous city. And it is the first time in 20 years that Sin City has had two carriers.
|
Leg |
Schedule; Local Times* |
|---|---|
|
Denver to Anchorage |
5:45 PM-9:15 PM |
|
Anchorage to Denver |
10:25 PM-5:35 AM+1 |
|
Las Vegas to Anchorage |
6:30 PM-10:45 PM |
|
Anchorage to Las Vegas |
11:55 PM-6:00 AM+1 |
|
* In mid-June |
At 2,090 nautical miles (3,871 km), Anchorage has become Southwest’s longest domestic route ever from Denver, which is only because it does not fly from Colorado to Hawaii. It has exceeded the distance of what was first, Boston, by 37%.
Southwest Launches 1st-Ever Flights To Alaska: Here’s Where They’re Flying
The world’s largest low-cost carrier, has finally touched down in Alaska, marking its first-ever flights to the state with two new seasonal routes.
Simple Flying Quiz
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)
Two Exotic New Routes For Australia
Two highly intriguing routes from Australia have just started. On May 17, Maldivian launched the first nonstop service ever from the Maldives to Australia, with the commencement of flights to Melbourne.
Operating on a charter basis for Luxury Escapes, the carrier flies to Victoria weekly. Flights arrive in Melbourne at 12:30 PM and depart at 11:55 PM. The three-class, 264-seat A330-200, which is the carrier’s sole widebody equipment, is deployed. It has one frame.
On May 18, Qantas’ lower-cost unit, Jetstar, commenced the first flight from Brisbane to Rarotonga, which is in the Cook Islands. It became the carrier’s third route to the Pacific destination, joining Auckland and Sydney.
Covering 2,592 nautical miles (4,800km) each way, Jetstar operates three times weekly using the 232-seat A321LR. Flights leave Queensland at 10:20 PM and arrive at 7:45 AM the same day (!). Returning, they depart at 9:10 PM and get back at 12:10 PM the following day.
Medsky Arrives In Germany
Routes involving less discussed countries and airlines are always particularly noteworthy. This week, one launch was certainly the most ‘unusual’ in this sense.
On May 17, the small Libyan carrier Medsky launched a twice-weekly A320 service from Tripoli Mitiga to Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is where many of Germany’s Libyans live.
Mitiga is the international airport serving the Libyan capital. This followed the heavy damage that afflicted Tripoli International during the 2014 Libyan Civil War. Due to that war, all flights to Europe were paused until 2023.
Currently, Düsseldorf is the only city in Northern Europe to have passenger flights from the North African country. It last had them in 2015, when Afriqiyah Airways operated from Tripoli International.
Breeze Begins Flying To This US Border City
The fast-growing Breeze now serves the US border city of Brownsville. It does so from Orlando, with twice-weekly A220-300 flights, which is the airline’s standard frequency.
Unsurprisingly, it was Breeze’s first time in the Texas city. It probably would not have considered flying there but for Avelo ceasing the route in August 2024. Until then, Brownsville did not have Florida flights.
Avelo carrier transported 28,000 round-trip passengers and grew the market by 400%. While 81% of seats were filled in the first year, helped by introductory prices, it fell to a ridiculously low 52% in the second year.
SpaceX demand will help Breeze’s performance, as the route connects two places critical to its development. The flight numbers reflect SpaceX and wider space things. Breeze’s 137-seat A220-300s will be better suited to the market than Avelo’s 189-seat 737-800s. While it might struggle to grow demand as greatly due to the A220s having a higher seat-mile cost, it does not need as many passengers.
Lift Off: Wizz Air Begins 2 More Routes
Wizz Air is Europe’s third-largest short-haul operator. One in every 20 of the continent’s peak summer flights is now provided by the ultra-low-cost carrier. Usually, multiple services begin, but only two did so in the examined period.
On May 14, Wizz Air began flying from the Romanian city of Iasi to Pisa for the first time, with twice-weekly A320ceo flights. Until now, no airline has ever served the market. It means Iasi, which is very close to the border of Moldova, will have flights to seven airports in Italy this year.
Two days later, the carrier took off from London Luton to Zakynthos, which is served twice-weekly on the A321neo. This route was previously part of its network until 2022. Wizz Air will have six routes from Bedfordshire to Greece this summer, with Corfu flights beginning in June.
