Riyadh Air Launches Riyadh–Madrid, the Only Direct Nonstop Between the Two Capitals
Riyadh Air launches 3x-weekly Riyadh–Madrid service on July 17, creating the only nonstop route between the two capital cities and cementing a cultural tie via the airline's Atlético de Madrid partnership.
British Airways Adds Rovaniemi to Its Gatwick Winter Network, Its Second Finnish Lapland Route
British Airways announces a new seasonal winter route from London Gatwick to Rovaniemi, Finland, launching December 4 with twice-weekly flights and targeting festive Lapland demand.
Air Zimbabwe Returns to London Gatwick After 14 Years, Resuming Nonstop Harare Flights
Air Zimbabwe resumes nonstop Harare to London Gatwick flights for the first time since 2012, wet-leasing an Airbus A330-300 from Spain's Plus Ultra Lineas Aereas to operate three times weekly from July 22.
Air China Restores Chengdu Tianfu–London Gatwick Nonstop After Seven-Year Break
Air China restores nonstop Chengdu Tianfu to London Gatwick flights after a seven-year absence, operating four times weekly from July 12 and giving southwest China passengers a second London airport option alongside existing Heathrow service.
Riyadh Air Enters India with Daily Riyadh-Mumbai Flights from August 4
Riyadh Air announced its debut in the Indian market on July 6, 2026, with daily nonstop Boeing 787-9 flights between Riyadh and Mumbai commencing August 4 as the Saudi carrier's tenth destination.
British Airways Resumes London Heathrow–Orlando Flights for 2026 UK Summer Holidays
British Airways is resuming seasonal nonstop service between London Heathrow and Orlando from July 21 to August 29, deploying a 272-seat Boeing 777-200ER to capture UK school-holiday demand for Florida.
United Airlines Launches First-Ever Houston–Cartagena Nonstop, Starting December 17
United Airlines will become the first US carrier to fly nonstop from Houston George Bush Intercontinental to Cartagena, Colombia, launching four weekly Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights on December 17.
United Airlines Opens Washington Dulles–Cartagena Nonstop from December 17
United Airlines launches Washington Dulles–Cartagena nonstop service on December 17, becoming the first US carrier to fly this route and adding Cartagena as its third Colombian destination.
Philippine Airlines Resumes Manila–Dubai Nonstop from October 2 After Conflict-Driven Suspension
Philippine Airlines resumes nonstop Manila–Dubai service on October 2 with four weekly flights, restoring a key UAE corridor suspended earlier in 2026 due to regional Middle East conflict.
Riyadh Air Launches Daily Riyadh–Dhaka Nonstop, Opening Bangladesh to Saudi's New Carrier
Riyadh Air adds Dhaka as its first Bangladesh destination with daily Boeing 787-9 service launching August 7, serving business, VFR, and Umrah traffic between Saudi Arabia and South Asia.
American Airlines Returns to Chicago–Tokyo Narita with Daily Boeing 787-9 Nonstop from March 2027
American Airlines announced on July 1, 2026 the return of daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare and Tokyo Narita from March 27, 2027, operated under its trans-Pacific joint venture with Japan Airlines and marking American's comeback to the ORD–NRT market after a seven-year absence.
China Eastern Opens Shanghai Pudong–Dublin Nonstop, Becoming Dublin Airport's Longest-Ever Route
China Eastern Airlines launches its first nonstop Shanghai Pudong–Dublin route on July 20 with A350-900 aircraft, creating Dublin Airport's longest-ever scheduled service at approximately 5,818 miles.
Riyadh Air Adds Málaga This Summer as Its Second Spain Destination, Starting July 14
Riyadh Air will operate seasonal three-times-weekly Riyadh–Malaga flights from July 14 to September 8, opening its second Spanish destination just days before Madrid launches on July 17.
Riyadh Air Announces Riyadh–Kuala Lumpur Flights on July 30, Its First Southeast Asian Destination
Riyadh Air announced on July 1 that it will launch three-weekly Riyadh–Kuala Lumpur nonstop service on July 30, the Saudi startup's first Southeast Asian destination, as part of a three-route reveal using its growing 787-9 fleet.
GOL Linhas Aéreas Launches First-Ever Long-Haul Route: Rio de Janeiro–New York JFK
Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas debuts on the long-haul market with three-weekly nonstop Rio de Janeiro Galeão–New York JFK service beginning July 8, initially operated with a wet-leased Wamos Air A330-200.
Jazeera Airways Returns to UK with Kuwait–London Luton Flights, First Gulf Carrier at LTN
Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways returns to the UK market on July 8 with direct flights to London Luton Airport, becoming the first Gulf airline to serve LTN and launching what will be the airport's longest-ever route by distance.
Norwegian Launches New Tromsø–Helsinki Nonstop This Winter, Its Ninth Arctic International Route
Norwegian will launch a twice-weekly Tromsø–Helsinki nonstop from November 18, making Helsinki the ninth international destination served from the Norwegian Arctic city.
Delta Air Lines to Launch Twice-Daily Newark–Los Angeles Nonstop Flights from April 2027
Delta Air Lines announced twice-daily Newark–Los Angeles nonstop flights starting April 12, 2027, entering United Airlines' fortress hub on one of the US's highest-value transcontinental corridors.
Oman Air Resumes Daily Muscat–Abu Dhabi Flights from July 9, Making It Its 49th Destination
Oman Air resumes daily Muscat–Abu Dhabi flights from July 9, restoring the GCC capital link last operated in 2020 and adding the UAE capital as the carrier's 49th destination.
Norse Atlantic Launches London Gatwick–Phuket, Its First Direct UK–Thailand Nonstop
Norse Atlantic UK will launch three-times-weekly nonstop flights between London Gatwick and Phuket from December 2026, adding the first low-cost direct service on the UK route to Thailand's most popular resort island.