25 new airline routes launching for winter 2026/27

Airlines are launching dozens of new routes for winter 2026/27, connecting Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, with Ryanair alone adding more than 140 services.

The winter aviation season runs from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. Airlines are introducing long-haul services, expanding regional networks and adding flights to popular holiday destinations.

Ryanair leads the announced expansion by route count, while Jet2, easyJet and several international carriers are also growing their networks.

25 major airline routes and winter service additions

The selection includes new routes, seasonal services and resumptions. Launch dates remain subject to change.

Sources include Ryanair’s winter announcement and AeroRoutes’ schedule reports, including Singapore Airlines’ Madrid resumption and Delta’s Liberia service.

Which airlines are expanding fastest?

Ryanair has announced more than 140 new routes, with approximately 80 million seats across 1,700 routes in 35 countries. New services include UK–Denmark connections and additional flights between Europe and North Africa. The airline is also reducing capacity at some airports, citing operating costs and aviation taxes.

Jet2 has announced 34 new winter routes, including services to Egypt, Morocco and European holiday destinations. EasyJet is adding 13 routes from eight UK airports, strengthening its regional network and winter sun offering.

Singapore Airlines is expanding its European and Australian operations. It resumes Singapore–Barcelona–Madrid flights on 26 October, operating five times weekly with Airbus A350-900 aircraft, and is adding frequencies to Frankfurt, Milan and Munich. The carrier has also scheduled daily Singapore–Western Sydney flights from 23 November.

Air New Zealand is increasing Auckland–Singapore services from seven to 11 weekly flights, while Qantas is expanding Sydney–Singapore Airbus A380 operations from nine to 13 weekly services in December.

Middle Eastern carriers are increasing capacity to Asia. Etihad Airways is raising Abu Dhabi–Phuket frequencies from 28 to 36 weekly flights in December, alongside additional services to Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur and Bali, according to AeroRoutes.

Qatar Airways is restoring Doha–Canberra flights via Melbourne and plans to resume services to Tabuk and Yanbu in January 2027.

Route counts do not necessarily reflect total capacity growth, which also depends on flight frequencies and aircraft size.

What the new routes reveal about travel demand

Winter sun destinations account for much of the expansion. Jet2 and easyJet are adding flights to Egypt and North Africa, while WestJet is expanding connections to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

US carriers are also targeting international leisure markets.

United Airlines launches San Francisco–Sapporo flights on 11 December, operating three times weekly with Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The route provides direct access to Hokkaido during Japan’s winter tourism season.

United is also introducing Houston–Cartagena and Washington Dulles–Cartagena services from 17 December, each operating four times weekly with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Delta Air Lines resumes New York JFK–Liberia flights on 19 December, using Airbus A321neo aircraft. According to AeroRoutes, Delta last operated the route in January 2017. The airline is also increasing Los Angeles–Melbourne services to daily flights from 20 December.

In Asia-Pacific, Finnair‘s Helsinki–Melbourne service via Bangkok establishes its first scheduled passenger connection to Australia. Singapore Airlines and Qantas are also increasing capacity between Asia and Australia.

Northern Europe is another growth market. Finnish airport operator Finavia reports 31 additional routes compared with the previous winter, including new connections to Rovaniemi from London Gatwick, Newcastle and Munich.

Etihad’s additional services to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia further expand connections through Abu Dhabi.

The changes reflect airlines’ focus on winter leisure travel, regional connectivity and long-haul markets. However, some carriers are reducing frequencies elsewhere as they redistribute aircraft and capacity.

Schedules remain subject to operational changes and airspace restrictions.