Wise Traveller has been struck by how many new airline routes are set to begin in 2025. Here’s a quick round-up:
Eurowings: The German leisure airline has announced one of its most significant flight expansion schedules for next summer. It is offering a broader network in operating 412 routes, connecting 142 destinations across 36 countries between March and October 2025.
New additions include Bilbao, Corfu, Faro, Newcastle, Jerez de la Frontera, Thessaloniki, Kavala (Greece), Catania, Split, Ljubljana, Mostar, Preveza (Greece), Seville, as well as Warsaw, Erbil, Klagenfurt, Bastia (Corsica), and Malta.
Eurowings, the Lufthansa subsidiary, has also announced an increase in its flight frequency to popular vacation spots, such as Dubai, with additional flights during the Easter and autumn school holidays.
Volotea: The low-cost carrier, better known for its flights connecting cities across Europe, will be branching out a little further afield for summer 2025.
Expanding beyond its Bordeaux hub, the airline said it will include five new routes. It will introduce a twice-weekly Bordeaux to Alghero flight from July 4. Alghero is a picturesque coastal town in Sardinia, Italy.
Bordeaux to Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca will also be twice weekly; Bordeaux to Bari in southern Italy’s Puglia region is a gateway to historic architecture, local cuisine, and scenic coastal views.
Volotea will also be hopping over to Malta from May onwards and has plans to connect Bordeaux with Marseille with a four-times-a-week operation from May 30.
HK Express: Phu Quoc in Vietnam is on HK Express’ radar, so much so that it has launched a new route connecting Hong Kong to the tropical island paradise.
The route is the airline’s tenth destination in its Southeast Asia network. Phu Quoc, nestled off Vietnam’s southern coast, offers an ideal retreat for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Air France-KLM: Air France is to enhance its presence in Saudi Arabia after a six-year gap, underscored by a partnership with fellow SkyTeam alliance member Saudia. The carrier is launching nonstop flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH).
The expansion brings all three Air France-KLM Group airlines into line with serving the Saudi market. LCC Transavia France will launch flights to Jeddah from Paris Orly and Lyon. KLM presently operates flights to Riyadh and Dammam from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
“Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as a world-class destination and a key gateway,” said Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA): The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted its three-year airspace ban on PIA.
EASA officials said PIA now meets necessary air safety standards. The airline’s present long-haul network is limited to routes such as Toronto and Beijing, although it has an extensive regional network in the Middle East. With the ban lifted, the airline is hoping to restart flights to London and Paris in 2025.
Norwegian: Another airline that is set to enhance its summer 2025 operations with 17 new routes is Norwegian. These will be part of its schedule of 344 routes, connecting 128 destinations across Europe.
New direct routes include three from the UK to Copenhagen, Riga, and Ålesund, allowing UK travellers greater access to popular European destinations.
The carrier is also extending its reach from other Nordic countries, including Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Latvia. These new routes will open doors to exciting destinations across Europe, making 2025 a year of increased travel opportunities.
Magnus Thome Maursund, Norwegian’s Commercial Director, said: “The summer holidays are something everyone looks forward to, and we’re thrilled to offer new and exciting destinations.”
TAP Air Portugal: Los Angeles will be the newest destination to be served by TAP on its North American network next summer. It will launch a nonstop service from Lisbon as part of a broader expansion that includes two additional Portugal-U.S. routes.
Flights between Lisbon Airport and Los Angeles International Airport will begin in May with an initial three-times-a-week operation to October 25.
TAP will also offer new routes to two existing cities in its network: Boston and San Francisco.
Porto to Boston Logan International Airport starts May 14, with a service connecting Terceira in the Azores and San Francisco will follow on June 3.
Andy Probert is an independent PR writer and journalist who writes about travel experiences, airlines, airports, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mirror, as well as many newspapers/magazines globally.
