16 Thrilling New Nonstop Routes Launching This Week

Welcome to my 206th weekly routes article! As all the time, the aim of this text is to debate a small choice of subjectively thrilling companies. Seven mini-stories have been chosen this week; all of the routes launched or restarted between April 22 and 28.

Alaska Airways Arrives In Europe

Historical past was made on April 28, when Alaska Airways jetted off from Seattle (its busiest hub) to Rome. That’s as a result of it’s the oneworld member’s first European route. And greater than that, additionally it is its new longest hyperlink by each distance and block time, for now at the very least.

Served each day on the Boeing 787-9, the town pair has not beforehand had flights by any airline. As such, Alaska Airways’ debut is especially noteworthy. But it surely gained’t have the market to itself for lengthy. Subsequent week, Delta Air Strains will be a part of it within the Italian capital, albeit with a decrease frequency. Maybe unsurprisingly, Rome was Seattle’s largest unserved European metropolis final 12 months.

Alaska Airways plans two extra European routes in 2026. On Could 21, it’ll take off to London Heathrow (each day 787-9), adopted every week later by Keflavik (each day 737 MAX 8). Will Madrid materialize due to the Iberia and oneworld connection? Or will Alaska comply with Canada’s WestJet in primarily serving leisure locations?

Washington Dulles Welcomes Subsequent Lengthy-Haul Airline

South Korea’s Air Premia is a self-described hybrid operator, though some say it’s extra of a funds provider. Regardless, on April 24, it inaugurated service from Seoul Incheon to Washington Dulles. It joins Korean Air, changing into the second time the airport pair has ever had two airways.

Air Premia runs 3 times weekly on the 787-9. Because it avoids overflying Russian airspace, flights again to Asia are blocked at as much as 15 hours and 35 minutes. On this foundation, this route turns into the provider’s new longest US hyperlink.

It’s drawn to the scale of the market. In 2025, Seoul was the second-largest Asian market from the DC space, crushed solely by Tokyo. It turns into Air Premia’s fifth US route, becoming a member of Honolulu, Los Angeles, Newark, and San Francisco. 29 weekly departures can be out there within the first week of Could, rising as much as 34 weekly flights within the peak summer season.

Wizz Air’s Three Extra Routes From The Italian Capital

You won’t understand it, however Wizz Air’s most-served nation will not be in Central or Jap Europe. It’s Italy. This summer season, the Southern European nation will account for a large 31% of the ultra-low-cost provider’s whole flights. That’s far more than Poland, which ranks second (22%).

Wizz Air serves 26 airports in Italy, of which solely two are inside its high ten most-served listing. They’re Rome Fiumicino (which ranks third) and Milan Malpensa (seventh).

The provider has simply began or resumed three extra routes from Rome. On April 27, it took off for Tallinn (three weekly), having final served the Estonian capital between 2021 and 2023. Beforehand, Vueling and Estonian Air operated. It’s Wizz Air’s new second-longest hyperlink from Rome, after Tenerife South.

On April 28, two new routes joined its map: Oslo (three weekly) and Varna (three weekly). It competes immediately with Norwegian and SAS to Oslo, offering probably the most seats on the market so far, influenced by Wizz’s use of the A321neo. In distinction, the Bulgarian vacationer vacation spot of Varna has not been served from the Italian capital earlier than.

Alaska Airways Begins 4 Routes From San Diego

It’s uncommon for my new routes articles to characteristic the identical provider in two separate mini-stories, however that has occurred this week. All contain Alaska Airways and San Diego, the place the provider is rising quick.

On April 21, Alaska took off from San Diego to Santa Barbara (two each day flights utilizing Horizon and SkyWest E175s). The provider beforehand served the route in 2021/2022. It’ll compete immediately with Southwest later this 12 months.

On April 22, Alaska took off from San Diego to Dallas/Fort Price (two each day; primarily on the 737-900ER), Oakland (4 each day; Horizon and SkyWest E175s), and Raleigh/Durham (each day; primarily utilizing the 737-900ER). They’re all new to the provider’s map.

Till 2018, San Diego didn’t have nonstop flights to Raleigh/Durham. Frontier operated till the next 12 months, whereas Breeze launched the lengthy hyperlink in 2024. With Alaska’s arrival, this market can have two carriers for the primary time.

It’s a closely underserved metropolis pair, too. In 2025, 400 passengers traveled each day, however solely 61 flew nonstop (15%). An issue is the variety of hubs (and the ensuing appreciable alternative of oblique flights) on the best way.

Turkey Will get Extra Russian Routes

The recognition of journey between Russia and Turkey has elevated considerably, which is primarily due to EU sanctions. In 2026, 12.7 million nonstop seats can be found, which is probably the most so far. In comparison with earlier than the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, round 4 million extra seats have been added.

Turkish and Russian airways have added many routes, a few of which began within the examined interval. For instance, on April 24, Air Anka (a hardly ever mentioned small Turkish provider) inaugurated flights between Antalya and Sochi (4 weekly).

The identical day, Southwind (one other Turkish operator, which is inevitably associated to Russia’s Nordwind) launched the identical route (two weekly). On April 25, Air Anka’s first flight from Antalya to Krasnodar took off, with three to 4 weekly constitution companies.

In 2026, Russia is the second most-served nation from Antalya, behind Germany. They account for 55% of Antalya’s worldwide capability. The ever-popular vacationer vacation spot has flights from greater than 35 airports in Russia with as much as 65 each day departures.

Uncover Is… Discovering Eire

Flights from Germany to Shannon, in County Clare, have lengthy existed to convey vacationers to the West Coast of Eire. They operated for years till 2019, with a number of airports having flights, together with Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hahn, Lübeck, Memmingen, Munich, and Weeze. Condor, Lufthansa, Ryanair, and TUI operated them.

On April 25, Uncover, which is owned by the Lufthansa Group, launched a weekly service from Frankfurt to Shannon. This marked the leisure provider’s debut in Eire. It additionally marked the resumption of flights on the airport pair after a six-year absence, when Lufthansa pulled out. Frankfurt now has flights to 3 Irish locations: Dublin, Cork, and Shannon.

LEAV Aviation Arrives At Münster/Osnabrück

Round 30 airports in Germany have scheduled passenger flights. Considerably, one in all them, Münster, has simply welcomed its subsequent airline: LEAV Aviation. The operator, which used to solely supply constitution and ACMI companies, bases one 180-seat A320 on the airport. Enjoyable reality: Münster is among the only a few German airports with a 24/7 operation.

Three outbound leisure routes are presently operational: Heraklion (three weekly, however 5 weekly within the autumn), Fuerteventura (two weekly), and Rhodes (two weekly). Which means that each Fuerteventura and Rhodes have returned to Munster’s community.

Within the autumn, Palma de Mallorca can be served (weekly). That is the preferred leisure vacation spot from Germany, and it’s Münster’s second hottest vacation spot by seats on the market this summer season, after Antalya.