Norse Atlantic Airways has announced the start of flights between London Gatwick and Bangkok effective October 26th, which it will offer during winter 2025/26. As per its website, the British airline will provide two weekly services in November, increasing to four in early December, to be maintained until at least March 27th, 2026.

The Thai capital will become Norse’s first destination in Asia from/to London Gatwick, and the seventh in its network including scheduled and seasonal routes. For the first time it will operate between Bangkok and London, although the airline has previously flown to BKK from other European cities.

Schedule until November 30th

Tuesday and Sunday

• Z0 791  London LGW 16:00 · 10:25+1 BKK Bangkok

Monday and Wednesday

• Z0 792  Bangkok BKK 12:30 · 18:30 LGW London

Schedule as of December 2nd

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• Z0 791  London LGW 16:00 · 10:25+1 BKK Bangkok

Monday and Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday

• Z0 792  Bangkok BKK 12:30 · 18:30 LGW London

Bjørn Tore Larsen, Norse Atlantic CEO, stated, “We’re excited to launch direct flights between London Gatwick and Bangkok, a top choice among our travelers. This addition not only strengthens our existing network in Asia but also builds on our routes from London Gatwick to destinations across the Atlantic and South Africa.”

Malaysia Airlines incorporates its second Airbus A330neo

The airline continues to expand its fleet with the acquisition of a new Airbus A330-941, which arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 18th at 11:16 local time from Toulouse.

This aircraft joins its first A330neo, registered as 9M-MNG. As can be seen through our database, the Airbus A330neo entered scheduled service for Malaysia Airlines on December 19th, 2024 with flight MH 149 between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne. The Australian city is the main (and almost only) destination for Malaysia’s Airbus A330-900neo.

Malaysia Airlines fleet

• Airbus A330-200: 8
• Airbus A330-300: 15
• Airbus A330-900: 2
• Airbus A350-900: 7
• Boeing 737-800: 42
• Boeing 737 MAX 8: 11

9M-MNH is the registration of Malaysia’s second A330neo.

In addition, during February, Malaysia added four new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, joining other two incorporated in January.

Hong Kong Airlines to launch flights to Sydney

Beginning June 20th, Hong Kong Airlines will inaugurate services between Hong Kong and Sydney International Kingsford Smith Airport. In accordance with its press release, the company will operate one daily frequency with Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

Hong Kong Airlines reaches two scheduled destinations in Australia this year. Between January 17th and February 15th, it operated seasonal flights between Hong Kong and Gold Coast using the same airplanes.

Daily

• HX 017  Hong Kong HKG 22:25 · 09:50+1 SYD Sydney
• HX 018  Sydney SYD 11:30 · 19:15 HKG Hong Kong

Hong Kong Airlines Chairman Mr Yan Bo commented, “This is an important milestone for Hong Kong Airlines. In the past, we only operated flights to the Gold Coast and Cairns in Australia, offering passengers access to popular tourist hotspots in Queensland. Now, we are honoured to extend our reach to Sydney, the country’s most iconic city. This new route will enable us to serve a broader range of international travellers and is also a testament to the efforts of the two governments to actively support more bilateral air traffic rights. We are committed to providing passengers with high-quality services and competitive prices, ensuring they have more diverse and convenient options for their travel plans.”  

During the event, Hong Kong Airlines President Mr Jeff Sun stated: “The three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport has increased the capacity for additional flights, and with the support of the two governments and related organisations, we are delighted to become the second Hong Kong-based airline to operate in Sydney. This new service will promote tourism, economic and cultural ties between Hong Kong and Australia. Sydney and Hong Kong have a rich shared history in aviation, and we are proud to be a part of this new chapter. Not only will it bring convenience to travellers, but it will also serve as a bridge connecting with our extensive mainland Chinese network.”

Current frequencies between Sydney and Hong Kong

• Cathay Pacific (CX): 28 weekly · A359/A35K/77W
• Qantas (QF): 7 weekly · A332/A333

Sydney Airport CEO Mr Scott Charlton said: “The arrival of Hong Kong Airlines marks an important new chapter for Sydney Airport and strengthens the long-standing connection between Sydney and Hong Kong. This new daily service not only increases capacity but also provides passengers with more choice to explore one of Asia’s most vibrant cities.”

“I would also like to thank and recognise the Albanese Government for their recent work in delivering the expansion of bilateral air traffic rights between Hong Kong and Australia. The new services announced today are a direct consequence of these efforts and will boost trade, economic growth, and job creation.”  

JAL resumes services between Tokyo Narita and Chicago

Through a press release, Japan Airlines confirmed the resumption of operations to Chicago O’Hare from Narita Airport in the Japanese capital starting May 31st. Flights will be conducted seven times per week by Boeing 777-300(ER) aircraft configured for 244 passengers in four classes (8 seats in First, 49 seats in Business, 40 seats in Premium Economy and 147 seats in Economy).

Daily

• JL 56  Tokyo NRT 18:15 · 16:00 ORD Chicago
• JL 55  Chicago ORD 12:30 · 15:15+1 NRT Tokyo

JAL’s Japan-USA market routes

Boston

• Tokyo Narita (NRT): 7 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Chicago

• Tokyo Haneda (HND): 7 weekly · Boeing 777-300(ER)

Dallas

• Tokyo Haneda (HND): 7 weekly · Airbus A350-1000

Honolulu

• Nagoya (NGO): 4 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Osaka (KIX): 5 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Tokyo Haneda (HND): 13 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Tokyo Narita (NRT): 7 weekly · Boeing 767-300(ER)

Los Angeles

• Osaka (KIX): 4 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Tokyo Haneda (HND): 7 weekly · Boeing 777-300(ER)
• Tokyo Narita (NRT): 7 weekly · 788/789

New York

• Tokyo Haneda (HND): 14 weekly · Airbus A350-1000

San Diego

• Tokyo Narita (NRT): 4 weekly · Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

San Francisco

• Tokyo Haneda (HND): 7 weekly · 787-9 (eff March 1st, with 777-300)
• Tokyo Narita (NRT): 7 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Seattle

• Tokyo Narita (NRT): 7 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

As well as the restart of Tokyo Narita – Chicago, the airline will have changes in its international operations, and also within Japan.

International routes

• Tokyo Narita-San Diego and Tokyo Narita–Bengaluru will increase to daily effective March 30th.
• The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft will be introduced on the Tokyo Haneda-Paris Charles de Gaulle route as of May 1st.
• Tokyo Narita-Honolulu will increase to daily from July 1st.
• Osaka Kansai-Los Angeles, Kansai-Honolulu and Chubu-Honolulu will increase to daily as of July 18th.
• The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft will be introduced on the Tokyo Haneda-Paris Charles de Gaulle route on May 1st.

Domestic routes

• Osaka-Misawa will increase from 7 to 14 weekly flights as of March 30th.
• Osaka-Sapporo will increase from 21 to 28 weekly flights effective June 1st.
• JAL will increase available seats on the Tokyo Haneda-Miyako route by introducing the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft “JAL First Class Service” from August 1st.

We review other highlights of the Asia and Oceania market

Aeroflot

The Russian airline launches two new domestic routes from Krasnoyarsk (KJA), which it will perform on Airbus A319-100 and Sukhoi SuperJet SSJ100 jets with 128 and 87 seats, respectively.

On January 28th at 08:08 local time, the first flight to Udachny Polyarny departed KJA, and 2 minutes later on the same day, the inaugural service from KJA to Samara.

Both routes will be conducted twice a week.

Udachny Polyarny · Sukhoi (Rossiya)

Tuesday and Thursday

• SU 6825  Krasnoyarsk KJA 07:55 · 12:30 PYJ Udachny
• SU 6826  Udachny PYJ 14:30 · 15:10 KJA Krasnoyarsk

Samara · Airbus A319 (Rossiya)

Tuesday and Sunday

• SU 6847  Krasnoyarsk KJA 07:55 · 09:10 SUF Samara
• SU 6848  Samara SUF 10:10 · 16:55 KJA Krasnoyarsk

Air Astana

Effective May 27th, Air Astana will expand its operations in Georgia with the commencement of flights to Tbilisi. The Uzbek airline will fly from Atyrau with Airbus A320-200 aircraft three times weekly:

Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

• KC 125  Atyrau GUW 08:00 · 08:50 TBS Tbilisi
• KC 126  Tbilisi TBS 09:50 · 12:40 GUW Atyrau

Air China

The carrier will add a new route to Russia from China, to begin on March 31st. Air China will operate Boeing 737-800s configured for 159 or 167 passengers, depending on the aircraft’s seating configuration.

Monday, Wednesday and Saturday

• CA 811  Beijing PEK 12:45 · 17:00 VVO Vladivostok
• CA 812  Vladivostok VVO 18:10 · 18:50 PEK Beijing
  

Air India

For summer 2025, Air India will strengthen its international regular schedule, increasing operations to Europe, East Asia and Africa. These new flights will commence as of March 30th.

• Ahmedabad (AMD) – London (LGW): from 3 to 5 weekly
• Amritsar (ATQ) – Birmingham (BHX): from 3 to 4 weekly
• Amritsar (ATQ) – London (LGW): from 3 to 4 weekly
• Delhi (DEL) – Hong Kong (HKG): switches from A321 to 787 on 7 weekly flights
• Delhi (DEL) – London (LHR): from 21 to 24 weekly · A359/789
• Delhi (DEL) – Nairobi (NBO): from 3 to 4 weekly
• Delhi (DEL) – Seoul (ICN): from 4 to 5 weekly
• Delhi (DEL) – Vienna (VIE): from 3 to 4 weekly
• Delhi (DEL) – Zurich (ZRH): from 4 to 5 weekly

Air Moana

Air Moana, an airline based in the Polynésie Française, will further expand its schedule by starting six new routes in July, as AeroRoutes announces.

• Papeete (PPT) – Moorea (MOZ) – Huahine (HUH) – Bora Bora (BOB) – Papeete (PPT): 2 weekly · July 1st
• Papeete (PPT) – Bora Bora (BOB) – Rangiroa (RGI) – Fakarava (FAV) – Papeete (PPT): 2 weekly · July 2nd
• Papeete (PPT) – Huahine (HUH) – Raiatea (TFP) – Papeete (PPT): 2 weekly · July 2nd
• Papeete (PPT) – Huahine (HUH): 2 weekly · July 4th
• Papeete (PPT) – Bora Bora (BOB) – Huahine (HUH) – Moorea (MOZ) – Papeete (PPT): 1 weekly · July 5th
• Papeete (PPT) – Rangiroa (RGI) – Fakarava (FAV) – Papeete (PPT): 1 weekly · July 7th

Air Moana has two ATR 72-500s in its fleet, which are configured for 72 passengers, and are around nine years old.

Air New Zealand

The company has confirmed the suspension of its seasonal flights between Auckland and Seoul, scheduled to operate during 2025/26 season effective October 30th.

Due to ongoing challenges with engine availability, Air New Zealand was forced to modify its network, suspending this seasonal route to the South Korean capital. The company currently has three frequencies per week between the two cities, which will end in late March.

Monday, Thursday and Saturday

• NZ 75  Auckland AKL 11:20 · 19:20 ICN Seoul
• NZ 76  Seoul ICN 21:10 · 12:25+1 AKL Auckland

Current schedule

Jeremy O’Brien, Air New Zealand Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We understand this will be disappointing for some customers, and we sincerely apologise for the impact. Due to the ongoing challenges with engine availability, we have reviewed our network to ensure we are set up to operate our schedule effectively and best deliver for our customers’ needs.”

“We remain committed to providing seamless travel experiences for our customers and will work closely with our partners to ensure connectivity to Seoul remains accessible, and we would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while we work through this change as well as our wider fleet constraint challenges.”

“We are always reviewing demand and assessing our flying schedule. As aircraft and engines become available, we will review our network and make decisions based on customer demand.”, concluded.

Airnorth

Alice Springs – Cairns, Airnorth’s new route.

Beginning April 14th, the Australian carrier will serve three times weekly on 100-passenger Embraer 190s:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday

• TL 362  Cairns CNS 12:30 · 14:20 ASP Alice Springs
• TL 361  Alice Springs ASP 12:50 · 15:30 CNS Cairns

“We are thrilled to expand our network with the addition of the Cairns to Alice Springs service. This route connects key regions of Australia, facilitating economic growth and creating opportunities for travellers to explore the diverse landscapes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Centre,” commented Daniel Bowden, Airnorth CEO.

Airnorth routes to/from Alice Springs

• Perth (PER): 4 weekly · Embraer 190
• Tennant Creek (TCA): 4 weekly · Embraer 190

Air Vanuatu

On February 16th, Air Vanuatu resumed operations with 71-seat ATR 72-600 aircraft, which had been suspended since mid-November 2024.

In line with our database, the first flight of the ATR, with registry YJ-AV73, departed at 11:50 local time from Port Vila for Tanna, located in Vanuatu, covering flight NF 314.

Luganville will be another route performed, also from/to the country’s capital (Port Vila).

Air Vanuatu’s fleet

• ATR 72-600: 1
• Twin Otter: 3 (YJ-AV11, YJ-AV14 and YJ-RV10)

Batik Air

Batik Air Malaysia has announced it will begin flying between Kuala Lumpur and Xiamen from April 11th, with 162-seat Boeing 737-800 planes.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• OD 678  Kuala Lumpur KUL 20:00 · 00:30+1 XMN Xiamen

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• OD 679  Xiamen XMN 01:30 · 06:00 KUL Kuala Lumpur

Cambodia Airways

Phnom Penh – Hong Kong, Cambodia Airways’ new route.

As of April 1st, the company schedules three weekly flights between the two cities on Airbus A319-100s for 150 passengers.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• KR 507  Phnom Penh PNH 07:45 · 11:25 HKG Hong Kong
• KR 508  Hong Kong HKG 12:25 · 14:00 PNH Phnom Penh

Cambodia Airways will compete with Air Cambodia and Cathay Pacific.

Fiji Airways

The carrier will expand services in Australia from Nadi, by boosting to four flights a week on its route to Cairns, as reported by AeroRoutes.

Fiji Airways is expected to commence this route in April, which will operate three times weekly on Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes.

Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

• FJ 971  Nadi NAN 08:45 · 11:35 CNS Cairns
• FJ 970  Cairns CNS 12:35 · 18:55 NAN Nadi

New flights on Saturdays effective January 4th, 2026.

Hainan Airlines

Starting April 1st, the airline will commence operating between Haikou and Osaka by Boeing 737-800s, to be conducted as follows:

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• HU 771  Haikou HAK 08:05 · 13:25 KIX Osaka
• HU 772  Osaka KIX 14:30 · 18:20 HAK Haikou

Himalaya Airlines

Pokhara, new destination for Himalaya Airlines.

According to its website, the airline plans to launch flights between Lhasa and Pokhara from March 31st, which will be performed once per week on Airbus A319 aircraft with a capacity of 128 passengers.

Monday/Tuesday

• H9 731  Lhasa LXA 13:15 · 12:45 PHH Pokhara (Monday)
• H9 732  Pokhara PHH 08:20 · 12:05 LXA Lhasa (Tuesday)

IndiGo

The Indian low cost airline will expand its domestic operations with new flights between Bhopal and Jabalpur. In accordance with its press release, IndiGo will start flying effective March 1st with Airbus A320-200 planes.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• 6E 7463  Bhopal BHO 17:50 · 18:55 JLR Jabalpur
• 6E 7464  Jabalpur JLR 19:15 · 20:15 BHO Bhopal

Mr. Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, commented, “We are pleased to announce new direct flights connecting Jabalpur and Bhopal, starting March 01st, 2025. This new route would strengthen the connectivity between Jabalpur and the state capital, and further boost economic growth & development. As India’s largest airline, we’re dedicated to providing our customers with effortless travel experiences, seamless connections across our vast network, and upholding our commitment to affordable, on-time, courteous, and hassle-free travel.”

Jetstar

Jetstar Airways will a new service in Australia from the end of June, starting flights between Gold Coast and Darwin. Operations will be carried out four times weekly with Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• JQ 691  Gold Coast OOL 21:00 · 00:50+1 DRW Darwin

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• JQ 692  Darwin DRW 01:50 · 06:50 OOL Gold Coast

Loong Air

At 13:01 local time on February 22nd, Loong Air’s inaugural flight departed Dayong for Cheongju. As per our database, the company will serve with the following schedule:

Wednesday and Saturday

• GJ 8591  Dayong DYG 12:50 · 17:00 CJJ Cheongju
• GJ 8592  Cheongju CJJ 18:05 · 20:50 DYG Dayong

Loong Air will compete with Sichuan Airlines on this route, which will resume operations from March 1st following a three-month hiatus.

MAI

Myanmar Airways International will launch services between Yangon and Penang as of April 10th, to be provided with Embraer 190s.

Monday and Thursday

• 8M 505  Yangon RGN 14:45 · 18:15 PEN Penang
• 8M 506  Penang PEN 19:15 · 19:45 RGN Yangon

Peach

Effective April 10th, the Japanese low cost carrier will launch flights to Seoul Gimpo with two new routes that will be offered on a daily frequency by Airbus A320neo aircraft.

• Nagoya (NGO): 1,260 weekly seats offered
• Osaka (KIX): 1,260 weekly seats offered

Seoul Incheon is its only destination in South Korea.

Qantas

The Australian airline will restart services between Darwin and Canberra from July 6th, which will be conducted using 94/97-seat Embraer 190 aircraft.

According to its website, Qantas will run three weekly frequencies with the following schedule:

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday

• QF 1982  Darwin DRW 14:10 · 18:55 CBR Canberra
• QF 1983  Canberra CBR 19:40 · 23:35 DRW Darwin

Royal Brunei

Royal Brunei Airlines has confirmed that it will restart operations between Bandar Seri Begawan and Beijing Daxing from April 28th, after a six-month suspension.

Services will be performed with 150-passenger Airbus A320neo planes.

Monday and Thursday

• BI 623  Bandar BWN 02:00 · 07:25 PKX Beijing

Tuesday and Friday

• BI 624  Beijing PKX 00:30 · 06:00 BWN Bandar

“We are delighted to resume our services to Beijing Daxing, reaffirming our commitment to strengthening the deep-rooted ties between Brunei and the People’s Republic of China. The temporary suspension of this route in October 2024 was a challenging yet necessary decision due to market conditions. However, after careful evaluation, we are confident that the time is right to reconnect our capitals and provide our guests seamless travel options.”, said RB Chief Executive Officer Captain Sabirin Haji Abdul Hamid.

Super Air Jet

Super Air Jet’s inaugural flight from Pontianak arrived at Banjarmasin at 11:35 local time on February 21st. The company will offer three weekly frequencies with Airbus A320-200 airplanes seating 180 passengers.

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• IU 268  Pontianak PNK 08:30 · 10:55 BDJ Banjarmasin
• IU 269  Banjarmasin BDJ 15:35 · 16:00 PNK Pontianak

In addition, on the same day at 12:50 local time, Super Air Jet’s first service to Praya departed Banjarmasin, which will also be operated with its A320s.

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• IU 268  Banjarmasin BDJ 11:35 · 12:55 LOP Praya
• IU 269  Praya LOP 13:35 · 14:55 BDJ Banjarmasin

Banjarmasin – Pontianak and Banjarmasin – Praya are domestic routes in Indonesia.

New aircraft added by airlines in Asia and Oceania

• Air Astana

• Air China

• Air India Express (x2)

• Akasa Air

• All Nippon Airways

• Asiana Airlines

• China Airlines

• China Eastern Airlines (x3)

• China Southern Airlines

• China Southern Cargo

• EVA Air

• Hainan Airlines

• IndiGo (x4)

• Japan Airlines

• Jeju Air

• Jetstar

• Malaysia Airlines (x6)

• Shandong Airlines

• Shanghai Airlines

• Xiamen Air

*It’s not new from the factory.

Other reports we have published

• Africa and Middle East
• United States and Canada
• Latin America
• Europe

Cover photo: La Roche Spotters – JetPhotos (London Gatwick Airport – EGKK – United Kingdom)