Exciting new UK and European airline routes for December and beyond
As 2023 draws to a close, there's a slew of new U.K. and European routes launching in December and the not-so-distant future of 2024.
We have already shouted from the hilltops about some of these routes, and they were noteworthy enough for their own stand-alone stories (though we'll cover them again below). We'll also talk you through a few others you might have missed — particularly those serving regional U.K. hubs outside of big cities like London, a smattering of new services opening up in mainland Europe and a few revived routes.
Air Canada
In October, Air Canada resumed its daily direct service between London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai.
For summer 2024, the airline will add a new direct service to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) from both Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ). The Toronto service will operate twice weekly from June 12, 2024, with the Montreal service set to fly to the Swedish capital three times weekly from June 14, 2024.
British Airways
Last month, British Airways added a new service from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Fuerteventura Airport (FUE) in Spain's Canary Islands; the new twice-weekly service is due to become three times weekly from Feb. 28, 2024. The airline also returned to Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) for the winter season, flying the route three times a week during December.
Meanwhile, in 2024, British Airways will relaunch its route from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) on April 20, with the route already open for bookings. This revived route comes hot on the heels of the opening of Abu Dhabi International Airport's new Terminal A.
Corendon Airlines
Turkish carrier Corendon plans to launch two weekly flights to Heraklion Airport (HER) in Crete, Greece, from both Gatwick and Manchester Airport (MAN) for the summer of 2024. The airline will also be adding flights to Turkey's Antalya Airport (AYT) from London Stansted Airport (STN) to its summer program.
EasyJet
EasyJet will take to the skies with two brand-new routes from Stansted to Geneva Airport (GVA) and Zurich Airport (ZRH) from Dec. 16. The flights will operate twice weekly throughout winter. Then, to kick off 2024, the airline will launch its weekly service to Salzburg, Austria, on Jan. 13.
Elsewhere, the low-cost carrier has brought forward the launch of its new Birmingham Airport (BHX) base to mid-March 2024, when it will debut 16 new routes to the U.K., Europe and North Africa.
Services will include AYT, Alicante Airport (ALC) and Tenerife North Airport (TFN), with twice-weekly flights to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Dalaman Airport (DLM) and Corfu International Airport (CFU). There will be weekly services to SSH, HER and Rhodes Airport (RHO).
Other new EasyJet routes for summer 2024 include twice-weekly services from Southampton Airport (SOU) and Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Alicante starting March 31 and May 2, respectively. We'll also see the return of twice-weekly flights between Newcastle International Airport (NCL) and ALC, London Luton Airport (LTN) and Manchester to Reus Airport (REU) in Catalonia, Spain, from April 2.
Further new services will roll out in Liverpool, England (April 1); Belfast, Northern Ireland (April 20); and Glasgow, Scotland (May 2), with new year-round flights to Tunisia's Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport (NBE) operating twice weekly.
Bristol, England, will see its new EasyJet services to Malta International Airport (MLA) begin during the Easter weekend; services from Glasgow to Larnaca International Airport (LCA) and from Southampton to Faro International Airport (FAO) will launch May 4 and June 6, respectively.
Finnair
Next year, service from Finnair's Helsinki Airport (HEL) to Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) in Nagoya, Japan, will return; this service will operate for the first time since 2020, when the route was suspended due to the pandemic. The revived route will take to the skies starting May 30, with twice-weekly flights.
The return of the Nagoya route will boost Finnair's total weekly flights to Japan to 20. It'll complement the airline's other routes from Helsinki to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) and Narita International Airport (NRT), as well as to Itami Airport (ITM) in Osaka, Japan.
Icelandair
The Icelandic carrier will introduce a slew of new North American cities to its route network for 2024, with flights from Reykjavik's Keflavik International Airport (KEF) to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) operating four times weekly from mid-May to the end of October.
We'll also see the restoration of its services between Reykjavik and Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in Nova Scotia; it's set to commence three services per week from May 31 to mid-October — a route last operated by Icelandair in 2018.
Jet2
Jet2 has numerous new routes planned for 2024. In particular, it looks to be boosting its connections from Scottish airports.
Alongside increased frequency on existing routes, Edinburgh Airport (EDI) will have a new twice-weekly service to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) from March 8 and a weekly service to Malta from May 1.
There will also be a weekly Saturday flight to France's Chambery Airport (CMF) between Feb. 10 and April 6, as well as services between Oct. 3, 2024, and March 27, 2025.
Continuing with the Scottish theme, weekly services to Verona Villafranca Airport (VRN) will commence from Glasgow between May 8 and Sept. 25.
Elsewhere, the airline is adding six new U.K.-to-Morocco routes as follows:
To Agadir:
- From Oct. 3, 2024, to Nov. 16, 2025: Two weekly flights from Birmingham, Manchester and Stansted
- From Oct. 3, 2024, to Nov. 13, 2025: One weekly flight from Leeds, England
- From Oct. 6, 2024, to Nov. 13, 2025: Two weekly flights from Bristol
- From Nov. 3, 2024, and Nov. 12, 2025: Two weekly flights from Glasgow
To Marrakech:
- From Oct. 4 to Nov. 14: Two weekly flights from Birmingham, Manchester and Stansted
- From Nov. 4 to Apr 28, 2025: Two weekly flights from Glasgow
Birmingham will see its roster bolstered by service to Tivat Airport (TIV) between May 2 and Oct. 31, with twice-weekly service to Mytilene International Airport (MJT) in Lesbos, Greece, from May 26 until Oct. 6.
Finally, service to Ibiza Airport (IBZ) will be added from May 16 for the summer season from Birmingham Airport (BHX), Bristol Airport (BRS), East Midlands Airport (EMA), Edinburgh Airport (EDI), Glasgow Airport (GLA), Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL), London Stansted Airport (STN), Manchester Airport (MAN) and Newcastle International Airport (NCL).
JetBlue
Expanding its transatlantic operations in 2024, JetBlue will launch daily flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from Edinburgh (May 23) and Dublin (March 14), with an additional route from Dublin Airport (DUB) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). The flights will run throughout the summer until Sept. 30.
Qantas
The Australian airline will launch its long-awaited nonstop flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Perth Airport (PER) on July 12, 2024; it'll operate four weekly flights until mid-August when the schedule will be adjusted to three weekly flights.
Ryanair
Low-cost goliath Ryanair has added many new routes for its 2023-2024 winter schedule.
First, there's Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY) to DUB, FAO and Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). Second, there's a new Newquay-to-Stansted connection that will run year-round.
Travelers departing Leeds will benefit from a new route to Porto, Portugal. Bristol Airport (BRS) receives two new routes to Porto Airport (OPO) and Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE); Manchester has new services to BHD, Plovdiv International Airport (PDV), Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), VCE and Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) this winter. Birmingham sees new services to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO), Seville Airport (SVQ) and Valencia Airport (VLC).
Those wishing to fly from the capital have seven new services: There are new flights from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted to BHD, EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (BSL), Ouarzazate Airport (OZZ), Poprad-Tatry Airport (TAT), Tirana International Airport (TIA), Treviso Airport (TSF) and Vigo Airport (VGO).
Finally, Newcastle's winter 2023-2024 schedule will include one new route to Paphos International Airport (PFO).
Swiss International Airlines
Swiss is launching its first nonstop service between ZRH and Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM), with six weekly flights from Jan. 22, 2024.
Vietnam Airlines
Roaring back into operation last month, Vietnam Airlines saw the return of its daily nonstop flights from Heathrow; there are four weekly services to Hanoi and three weekly services to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City.
Virgin Atlantic
While Virgin's awaited Sao Paulo service has now been delayed to 2025, the airline has made headway with its November launch of a new year-round biweekly service to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and Caicos. At present, the airline is still expected to launch daily flights to Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR) from March 31, 2024.
Later in the year, we'll also see a summer service to Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) from Manchester, taking to the air from June 2 and operating twice weekly.
WestJet
WestJet plans to launch a summer route between Gatwick and Canada's St. John's International Airport (YYT) on May 1 and Oct. 25, 2024. This is in addition to new Edinburgh-Canada flights connecting the Scottish capital with Toronto and Halifax from Jun 21 and May 14, respectively.
Wizz Air
Wizz Air will gain a new service connecting Luton to Salzburg Airport (SZG) on Feb. 8, 2024, perfect for any budding skiers out there. There will also be a Luton service to France's Grenoble Alpes Isere Airport (GNB) from Jan. 14, operating once a week.
Bottom line
There's plenty to look forward to in 2024 if you're based in the U.K. or Europe, with a slew of new routes on offer from both budget and premium airlines.
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