New yr, new routes.
Whereas most individuals are interested by their New 12 months’s resolutions, AvGeeks and airline trade lovers have an inventory of their very own to stay up for because the calendar flips from December to January.
That will be the bevy of recent airline routes introduced final yr, lots of which launch in 2025. Within the U.S. alone, a whole lot of recent routes had been introduced in 2024 to various levels of fanfare. They included every little thing from ho-hum expansions — assume new flights from a hub to a small metropolis or seasonal routes to trip hotspots — to outright blockbusters.
TPG’s Aviation workforce seemed again at these to see which of them we had been most enthusiastic about within the yr forward.
Our picks embody a few of these blockbusters, but additionally some that say as a lot about an evolving airline technique as the brand new route itself.
United Airways was a preferred decide from everybody on workers, and the way may it not be. The Chicago-based service’s community planning workforce has been aggresive the previous few years with a daring worldwide growth that includes splashy, unique additions. And 2024 was no exception, the place Greenland, Mongolia and Morocco had been solely a few of the highlights.
Nonetheless, loads of different new additions had us speaking. Our picks included a little bit of every little thing from new service to huge markets (Tokyo) and small (Belleville, Illinois). It’s a probable wager you’ll see a few of them nominated for the “sexiest new routes of the yr” — sure, that’s a factor.
As for our listing, the one standards had been new routes introduced in 2024 (no matter launch date) for flights inside or from the U.S. or on a U.S. airline. Learn on to see what we picked.
Ben Mutzabaugh, TPG’s managing editor for aviation
United Airways: Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
You’ll see this route greater than as soon as on this listing, and for good purpose: Mongolia is about as far-flung and unique a vacation spot as you’ll discover for a U.S. airline. United gained’t be flying it nonstop from the U.S. however relatively from Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT), the place it’s considered one of two American carriers with rights to fly to different locations within the area. Regardless, seeing United Boeing 737s flying into the Mongolian capital is well some of the fascinating additions for a U.S. airline.
American Airways: Carlsbad, California, to Phoenix
When American’s American Eagle regional associates start flying from Carlsbad subsequent month, it’ll be the one main airline model working from McClellan–Palomar Airport (CLD) about 35 miles north of San Diego. This route drew my consideration not a lot for this explicit metropolis pair, however relatively for what’s been considered one of American’s extra fascinating community methods of late. It’s more and more added smaller airports with little or no main airline service, permitting it to carve out area of interest markets with out direct competitors from its main rivals. Different current comparable additions embody Utah’s Provo Municipal Airport (PVU), Cape Cod Gateway Airport (HYA) in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Ian Fleming Worldwide Airport (OCJ) in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, and — starting subsequent month — the little-used South Caicos Airport (XSC) within the Turks and Caicos. (Extra on that beneath.)
Allegiant: Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Belleville, Illinois
Uncommon airline routes have me ever since I used to be a child, and — on the floor — this one is as obscure as they arrive. Nevertheless it highlights the kind of area of interest market that Allegiant has cultivated this century: increasing to small airports with little or no business airline service simply exterior bigger metros. Two of these once-sleepy airports — Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) close to Fort Myers, Florida, and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) close to Phoenix — at the moment are among the many busiest in Allegiant’s community. For the Gulf Shores-Belleville route, which begins Could 23, Allegiant would be the solely service flying from both airport. The leisure service has long-served Belleville, the place the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) sits about 30 miles from downtown St. Louis. Gulf Shores is a brand new airport for Allegiant — or any airline, for that matter — and lies about15 miles from the Florida border alongside the more and more in style Gulf Coast shoreline.
Zach Griff, TPG’s senior aviation reporter
United Airways: Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
United’s community workforce doesn’t draw back from experimenting with new routes, however this one may simply be the service’s wildest one but. I, for one, definitely didn’t have United asserting service to Mongolia on my 2024 bingo card, however right here we’re. The airline is benefiting from its historic fifth-freedom rights to function this service that operates as a part of persevering with service between Tokyo and Guam. Vacationers will have the ability to join with only one cease from the U.S. to Mongolia, all aboard United metallic. — Zach Griff, TPG
Hawaiian Airline Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska
I additionally wouldn’t have thought Pualani — the character on the tail of Hawaiian Airways plane — could be discovered on a route from Seattle to Anchorage, no much less on a wide-body Airbus A330. However Alaska Airways introduced just some weeks in the past that it’ll deploy a Hawaiian Airways Airbus A330 on this route subsequent summer time through the peak journey window. The transfer comes as the 2 carriers start their community integration following the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian getting permitted. — Zach Griff, TPG
Delta Air Strains: New York to Sicily
Whereas Sicily has soared in reputation lately (thanks, partially, to White Lotus), traditionally there hasn’t been a nonstop flight from the U.S. to this Italian island. That’ll change subsequent summer time when each Delta and United add service to Sicily. Delta introduced its new route first; it’ll fly to Catania starting on Could 22. Only a few weeks after Delta’s announcement, United additionally introduced that it’ll begin flying from Newark to Palermo (additionally in Sicily) starting on Could 21. — Zach Griff, TPG
Sean Cudahy, TPG’s aviation reporter
Emirates: Miami to Bogota, Colombia
Flying in considered one of Emirates’ ultra-swanky first-class seats to Dubai can price hundreds of {dollars} money, or considerably reduce into your stash of factors. Nevertheless, a brand new, extra inexpensive option to expertise the Center Jap service’s famend service that was introduced (and launched) in 2024. Recognized within the trade as a “fifth freedom” route, Emirates’ service from Bogota to Miami is one which operates between two locations that don’t contact an airline’s dwelling nation. Although the flight is technically a continuation of Emirates’ service between Dubai and Miami, Emirates is ready to promote tickets simply on the Miami-Bogota leg. Because of this route, TPG’s Eric Rosen was in a position to redeem 60,000 Emirates Skywards miles for a first-class seat on considered one of its Boeing 777-300ER jets — not low-cost, by any measure, however far lower than you’d pay (particularly factoring in taxes and charges) for a for much longer flight to Dubai. — Sean Cudahy, TPG
United Airways: Newark to Marrakech, Morocco
In October, I tagged alongside as United Airways launched nonstop winter seasonal service from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to Marrakech, Morocco — within the course of turning into the one U.S. airline immediately serving the nation. In some ways, this route — additionally introduced and launched in 2024 — served as a launching pad for a sequence of borderline-obscure new routes United is planning within the months to return, from Senegal to Sicily and nonstop service to Greenland the service plans to debut in 2025. Within the case of United’s Marrakech service, it’s operated with United’s so-called “high-J” Boeing 767, that includes a whopping 46 lie-flat Polaris seats, and unlocks a vacation spot rated amongst TPG’s 29 finest locations to journey in 2025. — Sean Cudahy, TPG
American Airways: Miami to South Caicos within the Turks and Caicos
American didn’t make as huge a splash as, say, United, in asserting the place it’ll fly in 2025; there’s no signal of Greenland or Mongolia in its plans. However the Fort Value, Texas-based service does have some new plans up its sleeves within the new yr. For example, it should change into the one U.S. airline to fly nonstop to the island of South Caicos in February. American would be the solely main airline on the airport, which in any other case has solely small regional operaters flying inside the Turks and Caicos. Talking to TPG in October, American’s chief community planner touted the service’s rising route map within the Caribbean and Latin America as a power, and an intentional technique. American, for example, not too long ago launched nonstop service to Ocho Rios, Jamaica (close to a preferred Sandals resort) and can fly to Carlsbad, California (not removed from the Legoland California theme park), come February. “We’ve added a lot of new locations, area of interest kind locations,” mentioned Brian Znotins, American’s senior vp of community and schedule planning. “If we will save individuals time, this fashion, that’s one thing I’m within the enterprise of doing.” — Sean Cudahy, TPG
Aer Lingus: Dublin to Nashville and Indianapolis
At first look, Aer Lingus asserting nonstop service from its Dublin dwelling base to Nashville and Indianapolis wouldn’t come near qualifying for an inventory of probably the most thrilling airline routes. However the Irish service’s latest U.S. service is notable due to the plane flying the 2 routes — and what it means for air journey in 2025 and past. Aer Lingus will fly to Nashville and Indy with its new Airbus A321XLR, a narrow-body jet with significantly long-range. For Aer Lingus and lots of different airways, the jet ought to unlock new varieties of intercontinental routes, permitting airways to fly to extra “off-the-beaten-path” worldwide locations … or, on this case, enabling new European routes for smaller U.S. cities. American hopes to just do that with its personal XLRs — that’s, after it replaces it four-cabin “A321T” with the brand new plane on premium transcontinental routes in 2025. — Sean Cudahy, TPG
David Slotnick, contributing editor for TPG’s Aviation workforce
JetBlue: Boston to Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh, and Scotland extra broadly, is probably my favourite place on this planet. I lived there for a yr for graduate faculty, and have been again many instances to go to mates, discover new locations and return to previous favourite websites. Edinburgh could have been barely off the radar after I first moved there, however that definitely isn’t the case anymore, with the variety of worldwide guests climbing steadily, in keeping with information from the Scottish Tourism Observatory. I’m all the time thrilled to see it simpler to get there from the U.S., and JetBlue’s newest seasonal European flight would be the just one connecting my present hometown to the Scottish capital with nonstop service. I’m wanting ahead to taking it when it begins subsequent spring and may’t look forward to my first go to in a couple of years! I’m additionally thrilled to see American start its first-ever service to town, launching from its Philadelphia hub across the similar time. I’m hoping that one will assist develop award availability to Edinburgh, too. — David Slotnick, TPG
United Airways: Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Truthfully, I’m simply so interested by this one. It’s an uncommon route for the airline, which serves a handful of Asia-Pacific locations from its Tokyo hub utilizing Boeing 737 narrowbodies which are primarily based in Guam. However Ulaanbaatar is kind of an uncommon one. United has mentioned that the vacation spot gives a gateway to off-the-grid, lovely landscapes throughout the nation, and that there’s a possibility to win over passengers who beforehand linked to Ulaanbaatar via Beijing. It’s reflective of United’s post-pandemic technique of increasing service to less-common worldwide locations, whether or not that be secondary cities in nations which are already in style, or locations that may not have occurred to Individuals to go to earlier than. The airline depends on a mixture of passengers who’re visiting mates and family members, together with pure leisure prospects, lots of whom the airline tries to entice by advertising locations themselves, relatively than the flights. That additionally helps appeal to potential prospects to interact extra with the airline, both by becoming a member of its frequent flyer program or by signing up for a cobranded bank card. Thus far the technique appears to be working effectively, so it will likely be fascinating to see the way it performs out in Ulaanbaatar. — David Slotnick, TPG
Alaska Airways/Hawaiian Airways: Seattle to Tokyo
Alaska Airways introduced its first main long-haul flight since its merger with Hawaiian Airways was permitted, giving it new Airbus A330 widebody jets for the primary time. The route itself isn’t essentially that thrilling by itself, as there may be loads of service obtainable from the West Coast to Tokyo. As a substitute, this route — together with Seoul and others to return — alerts Alaska’s intent to rework its Seattle hub into a world gateway and compete immediately with partner-turned-rival Delta. Demand on the Tokyo route is robust, so it’s a logical one for the mixed airways so as to add. Plus, it’s fascinating (and thrilling) to see Alaska make its first huge play to plug Hawaiian’s plane into its Seattle hub. — David Slotnick, TPG
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