Etihad Airways has announced that it will begin services between Abu Dhabi and Charlotte, North Carolina, as of May 4th, 2026. The airline will operate four times a week with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft configured for 300 passengers in two classes (28 seats in Business and 262 seats in Economy).

Charlotte will be Etihad’s sixth U.S. destination after Atlanta (starts on July 2nd), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington DC. In addition, it also serves Montreal and Toronto, reaching eight routes in the Americas.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• EY 15  Abu Dhabi AUH 03:15 · 10:15 CLT Charlotte
• EY 16  Charlotte CLT 14:40 · 12:25+1 AUH Abu Dhabi

The UAE airline will be the only carrier from the Middle East to operate to/from Charlotte, and the fourth international airline.

LATIN AMERICA

LATAM to increase its international operations from Argentina

LATAM will have a major international expansion in Argentina starting in October with the restart of five routes, the resumption of another seasonal service and an increase in frequencies on current flights.

All of these routes were operated by the airline from Argentina prior to the pandemic, while the Santiago – Bariloche route, carried out during Southern Summer 2024/25, will return in December.

Among all the new connections, the main highlight is the resumption of Buenos Aires – Miami, a route LATAM had offered between August 2006 and March 2020, through its Argentine subsidiary. In this case, operations will be performed with LATAM Chile’s Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Sao Paulo – Córdoba: October 26th

• LA 8048  Sao Paulo GRU 08:00 · 11:35 COR Córdoba (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun)
• LA 8049  Córdoba COR 12:35 · 15:35 GRU Sao Paulo (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun)

• LA 8050  Sao Paulo GRU 13:00 · 16:30 COR Córdoba (Tue/Thu/Sat)
• LA 8051  Córdoba COR 17:30 · 20:30 GRU Sao Paulo (Tue/Thu/Sat)

Buenos Aires – Miami: December 1st

Daily

• LA 542  Santiago SCL 07:15 · 09:15 EZE Buenos Aires
• LA 542  Buenos Aires EZE 10:55 · 17:50 MIA Miami

• LA 543  Miami MIA 22:15 · 08:55+1 EZE Buenos Aires
• LA 543  Buenos Aires EZE 10:55 · 13:15 SCL Santiago

Santiago – Bariloche: December 4th

Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

• LA 439  Santiago SCL 12:53 · 14:40 BRC Bariloche
• LA 438  Bariloche BRC 15:35 · 17:27 SCL Santiago

Lima – Tucumán: December 14th

Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

• LA 2424  Lima LIM 23:50 · 05:20+1 TUC Tucumán
• LA 2425  Tucumán TUC 06:00 · 07:20 LIM Lima

Sao Paulo – Rosario: December 30th

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

• LA 8042  Sao Paulo GRU 22:45 · 01:40+1 ROS Rosario
• LA 8043  Rosario ROS 02:45 · 05:30 GRU Sao Paulo

Buenos Aires – Florianópolis: January 1st, 2026

Daily

• LA 475  Buenos Aires EZE 23:10 · 01:10+1 FLN Florianópolis
• LA 474  Florianópolis FLN 02:20 · 04:35 EZE Buenos Aires

In addition, LATAM will increase from seven to 12 weekly flights between Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro beginning October 26th.

Following this announcement, the airline confirmed the launch of flights to Buenos Aires Aeroparque from Porto Alegre effective September 2nd, which will return after 13 years. At that time, it was TAM Linhas Aéreas.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• LA 8128  Porto Alegre POA 08:30 · 10:00 AEP Buenos Aires
• LA 8129  Buenos Aires AEP 11:00 · 12:55 POA Porto Alegre

Air Transat will begin flights between Toronto and Medellín

Air Transat has confirmed the addition of a new destination in South America effective October 19th, to be served through another seasonal route.

The Canadian airline will operate the Toronto – Cartagena – Medellín route and vice versa with Airbus A321neo aircraft configured for 199 passengers, twice-weekly. As announced by the Colombian aviation authority, Air Transat has no traffic rights on the Cartagena – Medellín – Cartagena route.

At the time of publication, Air Transat has not published a schedule, which will be released in the near future.

Regarding current routes in Latin America, as per our database, Cancún, Cayo Coco, Havana, Holguín, Liberia, Lima, Martinique, Montego Bay, Point-a-Pitre, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Samana and Varadero are part of its network. Cartagena is a seasonal route, operated from/to Toronto.

EUROPE

China Eastern to add a new destination in Spain

As of September 28th, China Eastern Airlines will commence flights to Barcelona from Shanghai with 288-seat Airbus A350-900 jets. For the first time, the airline will operate to Barcelona’s El Prat airport, which will join Madrid, its other destination in Spain.

China Eastern will have four services per week to Barcelona, and will compete with Air China on this route. Barcelona will have connections to five Chinese cities during Summer 2025, between Air China, China Eastern Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines.

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday

• Schedule to be confirmed

Lufthansa resumes flights to San Francisco by Airbus A380s

The German airline has announced it will start operations between Munich and San Francisco with Airbus A380s beginning October 26th. These aircraft will replace the Airbus A350-900s, which have 293 seats.

For the first time in almost six years, Lufthansa will once again fly A380s to San Francisco. SFO will join Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC, its other U.S. destinations from Munich operated by Airbus A380-800s, configured for 509 passengers in four classes (8 seats in First, 78 seats in Business, 52 seats in Premium Economy and 371 seats in Economy).

Daily

• LH 458  Munich MUC 16:30 · 19:35 SFO San Francisco
• LH 459  San Francisco SFO 21:40 · 17:55+1 MUC Munich

ASIA

IndiGo launches two new routes between India and Europe

IndiGo, with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, will initiate two regular routes between India and Europe starting in July. The airline will operate three times weekly to Manchester and Amsterdam from Mumbai year-round, according to its website.

Amsterdam and Manchester will be added to IndiGo’s schedule in Europe along with Istanbul, which it also operates on Norse’s 787-9s. Considering the three connections, IndiGo will reach 20 flights a week to Europe.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday · July 1st

• 6E 31  Mumbai BOM 04:15 · 09:15 MAN Manchester
• 6E 32  Manchester MAN 12:00 · 01:35+1 BOM Mumbai

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday · July 2nd

• 6E 21  Mumbai BOM 05:00 · 11:00 AMS Amsterdam
• 6E 22  Amsterdam AMS 14:00 · 01:55+1 BOM Mumbai

United strengthens its connectivity in Palau 

Koror will be a new United Airlines destination from Tokyo Narita.

The airline will commence service between Tokyo and Palau from October 29th, with 166-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. United Airlines will operate this route twice-weekly under the following schedule:

Wednesday and Sunday

• UA 142  Koror ROR 11:25 · 16:00 NRT Tokyo
• UA 143  Tokyo NRT 17:55 · 20:50 ROR Koror

As per our database, United has five frequencies per week between Guam and Koror on the same aircraft.

OCEANIA

American to initiate services to Brisbane

American Airlines will launch seasonal operations between Los Angeles and Brisbane beginning December 5th. The carrier will operate three weekly services using 285-passenger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner airplanes.

With this schedule, American, which will be the only operator, will provide 855 seats per week between the two cities. At the time of publication, in accordance with its website, flights will be available until January 30th, 2026, as it will be a seasonal operation.

Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

• AA 42  Los Angeles LAX 21:55 · 06:00+2 BNE Brisbane
• AA 43  Brisbane BNE 11:30 · 06:30 LAX Los Angeles (Tue/Thu/Sun)

Currently, in the U.S.-Australia market, American Airlines offers one daily frequency between Los Angeles and Sydney with 304-seat Boeing 777-300(ER) aircraft.

Qantas to restart international services to/from Adelaide

The oneworld member will add its first international route from Adelaide starting October 31st, as reported by the Australian airline through a press release.

Auckland will become Qantas’ first scheduled ADL destination outside Australia, which it will serve by Boeing 737-800s with 174 seats. Air New Zealand will be its only competitor, operating four flights a week with Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo aircraft.

Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

• QF 175  Adelaide ADL 08:30 · 15:15 AKL Auckland
• QF 176  Auckland AKL 16:15 · 18:35 ADL Adelaide

Alice Springs, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Kingscote, Melbourne, Mount Gambier, Newcastle, Perth, Port Lincoln, Sydney and Whyalla are its current routes from/to ADL.

AFRICA

Uganda Airlines inaugurates flights to London Gatwick

On May 19th at 22:49 local time, Uganda Airlines’ first scheduled flight to London departed Entebbe. Uganda’s leading airline will operate four times weekly between Entebbe and London Gatwick with Airbus A330-800neo aircraft seating 258 passengers.

The British capital becomes Uganda Airlines’ first destination in Europe, returning the Uganda-UK connection after nearly a decade. With the launch of London, Uganda Airlines reaches three intercontinental destinations in its network, following Dubai and Mumbai.

EBB – LGW

• UR 110  Entebbe EBB 00:05 · 07:35 LGW London (Tuesday)
• UR 110  Entebbe EBB 00:25 · 07:55 LGW London (Wednesday)
• UR 110  Entebbe EBB 03:10 · 10:40 LGW London (Friday)
• UR 110  Entebbe EBB 09:25 · 16:55 LGW London (Sunday)

LGW – EBB

• UR 111  London LGW 09:40 · 21:10 EBB Entebbe (Tuesday)
• UR 111  London LGW 09:50 · 21:20 EBB Entebbe (Wednesday)
• UR 111  London LGW 12:40 · 00:10+1 EBB Entebbe (Friday)
• UR 111  London LGW 19:05 · 06:35+1 EBB Entebbe (Sunday)

Uganda Airlines has two Airbus A330-800 in its fleet, registered 5X-CRN and 5X-NIL.

MIDDLE EAST

Pakistan International Airlines adds a second route from Europe

PIA Pakistan International Airlines will commence flights between Lahore and Paris Charles de Gaulle effective June 18th. Operations, according to its website, will be conducted once a week with Boeing 777-200(LR) aircraft configured for 310 passengers.

Lahore will become PIA’s second scheduled destination in the French capital, joining Islamabad, which was launched last January, as we announced in this article.

Wednesday

• PK 733  Lahore LHE 11:45 · 17:00 CDG Paris
• PK 734  Paris CDG 19:30 · 06:20+1 LHE Lahore

PIA is the only airline operating regularly between Pakistan and France.

Emirates expands its network in China

The airline will start services between Dubai and Hangzhou from July 30th, to be operated daily on Boeing 777-300(ER) aircraft with a capacity for 354 passengers in three classes (8 seats in First, 42 seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy).

Hangzhou will become Emirates’ fifth destination in China after Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, the latter beginning on July 1st, as announced.

Daily

• EK 310  Dubai DXB 09:40 · 22:00 HGH Hangzhou
• EK 311  Hangzhou HGH 00:10 · 04:55 DXB Dubai

New aircraft incorporated by airlines during May

Cover photo: ThanawatP – JetPhotos