Each week, Aerospace Global News takes a look at some of the long-haul route changes to and from Europe, all of which are subject to further adjustments. For instance in last week’s schedule update, we noted that JetBlue had decided to remove its New York-JFK to Amsterdam Schiphol flights from schedules.

The key highlights this week include LOT Polish Airlines’ decision to axe its route to Mumbai and the announcement of Air Transat’s new route between Toronto and Tirana, Albania.

Other relevant changes include Lufthansa’s reduction in flights between Munich and Singapore from daily to 5x weekly. Beijing Capital Airlines will also be introducing a new regularly scheduled service connecting London Gatwick and Qingdao once weekly.

This week’s schedule changes

Using data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, the below is a non-exhaustive list of developments this week. For readability purposes, adjustments that extend to a large part or the entirety of the 2026 summer season have been listed as ‘S26’. For the 2026/2027 Winter season, this is listed as ‘W26’.

Long-haul is defined as flights over 3,000 miles, meaning not all Europe to non-Europe flights are included, but only those that meet the threshold.

The sample was selected based on relevance and market trends, and does not include smaller changes such as minor aircraft changes with a limited impact on capacity. As always, schedules are subject to change. And, as we have seen in previous editions, they do.

North Atlantic

• Air Transat adds 1x weekly Tirana to Toronto flight from June 2026 with an Airbus A330
• Air France increases Paris Charles de Gaulle to Quebec City from 3x to 4x weekly for S26.
• ITA Airways appears to annualise flights to Washington Dulles with 3x weekly flights on an A330neo. This route is usually suspended during the winter.

South Atlantic

• Plus Ultra files the suspension of its Caracas routes (to Madrid and Tenerife-North) in January 2026 over security concerns.

Africa

• Turkish Airlines reduces Istanbul to Accra flights in S26 from 12x to 11x weekly.
• Air France drops frequencies on Paris Charles de Gaulle to Antananarivo from daily to 5x weekly during peak S26.

Middle East

• No relevant changes.

Asia

• Beijing Capital Airlines introduces 1x weekly regularly scheduled flights between London Gatwick and Qingdao from S26.
• LOT Polish Airlines removes 2x weekly flights to Mumbai, shifts frequencies to Delhi route which increases to daily.
• LOT Polish Airlines adds Bangkok route from November 2026, 5x weekly with a 787.
• Finnair extends one daily Airbus A350-900 flight currently servicing Helsinki-Bangkok to Melbourne from W26.
• Finnair increases Helsinki to Osaka from daily to 10x weekly in S26.
• Sichuan Airlines moves Madrid to Chengdu flights from 4x weekly to daily from S26.
• Asiana Airlines appears to annualise new route between Seoul and Milan Malpensa with 3x weekly flights in W26. The route to Budapest, announced at the same time, does not appear to be year-round.

Finnair adds 24-hour trip to Australia

Finnair became the third European airline to add direct (not non-stop!) flights between Europe and Australia with the announcement of its new Melbourne route. The carrier revealed a new service between Helsinki and Melbourne via Bangkok, operating once daily with an Airbus A350-900.

The flights will begin on 26 October 2026, catering to peak demand during the Australian summer. However, it is worth noting that demand from Helsinki is minimal. The company will leverage its connecting network from Europe, but more importantly fifth-freedom traffic from Thailand.

Passengers will be able to book any leg of this route, otherwise known as a fifth-freedom service. The daily rotation to Melbourne will mean Bangkok is served up to three times a week by the Finnish flag carrier.

Christine Rovelli, Chief Revenue Officer at Finnair said: “We are very excited to introduce service to a new continent. By connecting Helsinki and Melbourne, two cities on opposite sides of the world, we can offer a truly unique bridge between the northern and southern hemispheres,” says 

“We expect that this new route will appeal to travellers from Europe heading to Australia, as well as Australians exploring northern Europe and beyond.” 

Two airlines boost Baghdad-Europe connections

Aegean Airlines landed in Baghdad earlier this week, becoming the first EU airline to fly to the Iraqi capital after nearly 35 years. Operated by an Airbus A320, the new connection to Athens hints at the gradual recovery of air traffic between the EU and Baghdad, hindered by security concerns and instability.

Oman Air launched an unusual new route between Copenhagen and Muscat on 16 December with one of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The new service will route via Baghdad and is a fifth-freedom route as well. In other words, the leg between Copenhagen and Baghdad is bookable on its own.

Iraqi Airways, the country’s flag carrier and largest local airline, is currently banned from flying to the European Union over safety concerns.

Flights from other cities in Iraq to the European Union already exist. Erbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan in the North of the country, has a plethora of routes including flights to Vienna, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Athens to name a few.

EU–Iraq scheduled routes (December 2025)

Source: Cirium

Air Transat announces Toronto-Tirana flights

Air Transat revealed yet another new route for the summer season, with flights between Toronto and Tirana, Albania launching on 18 June with an Airbus A330.

Understandably, the very unusual route will operate just once per week and is summer-seasonal. The carrier hopes to serve Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) traffic with this new route, while also attempting to promote the new destination as a new, undiscovered leisure hotspot.

Canada’s 2021 census showed just under 42,000 Albanians living in the country, primarily concentrated in Ontario.

In its press release, the carrier also announced flights between Quebec City and Nantes – a development that Aerospace Global News already flagged in a schedule update earlier this month.

Air Transat’s new European routes (2026)

The latest announcements bring Air Transat’s new European routes for 2026 to five.

Featured image: wb77 | stock.adobe.com

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