New route announcements and returning services across the Americas region.
Dominican Republic-based startup Arajet has filed an application with the US Transportation Department for an exemption authorizing it to operate scheduled service to the US. The application covers destinations between the Dominican Republic and Miami, New York and San Juan in Puerto Rico for a period of at least one year. Arajet wants to start flying to the US in autumn 2023, operating 185-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8s. The LCC, previously known as Dominican Wings and later Flycana, launched commercial operations in September 2021.
US carrier JetBlue Airways has confirmed three domestic additions, which it said have been enabled in part by the carrier’s Northeast Alliance with American Airlines. Seasonal service from Westchester County (HPN) to Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) and Charleston (CHS) will operate daily from May 25, while New York JFK-Washington Reagan (DCA) will be 3X-daily from June 15.
LATAM Airlines Group is increasing service between Ecuador and Colombia. The carrier, which commenced Quito (UIO)-Bogota (BOG) operations in April 2022, is adding a route between Guayaquil (GYE) and Colombia’s capital from March. Service will start on March 26, operating daily using Airbus A319s. LATAM previously operated nonstop flights between the destinations for a limited time in February and March 2022. OAG data shows the airline will compete in the GYE-BOG market with Avianca and Aero Republica.
Canada’s WestJet will add US destinations Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP) and Washington Dulles (IAD) to its schedule from the second half of May and early June. From Calgary (YYC), the airline will fly to Austin (AUS) in Texas (2X-weekly); Chicago O’Hare (ORD) (4X-weekly): DTW (4X-weekly); and IAD (3X-weekly). From Edmonton (YEG), WestJet will serve Minneapolis (MSP) and Seattle (SEA). Both routes will be operated 5X-weekly. Finally, from Vancouver (YVR), the carrier will operate flights to Atlanta (ATL) (4X-weekly); Nashville (BNA) in Tennessee (2X-weekly); and Orlando (MCO) (1X-weekly). WestJet additionally plans to open 3X-weekly Winnipeg (YWG)-Los Angeles (LAX) flights from April 30.
Avianca has expanded a codeshare pact with Colombian regional airline EasyFly. The agreement now includes new destinations Arauca, Florencia, Puerto Asis and Quibdo. The two airlines entered into what was described as the “first phase” of their partnership in June 2021 with 17 codeshare routes. “During 2022, close to 40,000 passengers flew through this agreement, which demonstrates the immense potential of this strategy to make Colombia a tourism hub,” said Julio Ordóñez, Avianca's director of alliances.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
JOE PRIES
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines will resume transcontinental service between two key airports in its network, reconnecting Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and Oakland (OAK). The carrier suspended the BWI-OAK route in December 2020 but will relaunch daily nonstop service between the airports from Sept. 5 using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 configured to carry 175 passengers. BWI is Southwest’s busiest east coast airport, with 4,000 employees based at the Maryland facility. The airline has indicated it plans continued growth at BWI, which is in the midst of a $332.5 million terminal enhancement project set to be completed by 2026.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is to suspend its only passenger route to Canada later this year as the carrier “adjusts capacity in response to demand.” Flights between Singapore Changi (SIN) and Vancouver (YVR) are slated to end at the beginning of October 2023—little more than a year after the Star Alliance member launched the nonstop service. The airline returned to the Canadian market in December 2021 after a 12-year absence by adding a Vancouver stop on its existing Singapore-Seattle route. Service between Singapore and Vancouver then became nonstop in June 2022.
Allegiant Air will connect Denver (DEN) with Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in Allentown, Pennsylvania, located 60 mi. from Philadelphia, with 2X-weekly service from June 15. Allegiant invested $50 million to open a crew and aircraft base at Lehigh Valley International in 2020. In addition to Allentown, ABE also serves the broader Lehigh Valley, which includes Bethlehem and Easton. Other new Allegiant routes, operating 2X-weekly and launching the week commencing June 12 include Portland (PDX), Oregon to Appleton (ATW), Wisconsin; Austin (AUS), Texas to Omaha (OMA), Nebraska; Las Vegas (LAS) to Lexington (LEX), Kentucky; Chicago Midway (MDW) to Provo (PVU), Utah; and Los Angeles (LAX) to Sioux Falls (FSD), South Dakota.
Ethiopian Airlines will resume 4X-weekly flights between Abidjan (ABJ), Ivory Coast, and New York (JFK) from May 29. The carrier first started serving New York from its main hub Addis Ababa via Abidjan in June 2019. However, the route was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Service to New York resumed in October 2020, but via Lomé (LFW), Togo, rather than Abidjan. The planned resumption comes as Ethiopian prepares to open a new route to Atlanta (ATL) from May 16.
Frequencies between Air Serbia’s Belgrade (BEG) hub and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) are being increased. The carrier will start daily service from June 18 until the beginning of September. Flights are currently operating 3X-weekly using Airbus A330-200s. Air Serbia has served New York for the past seven years, but the number of weekly frequencies has never exceeded six before. The growth comes as the airline prepares to launch flights to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) from May 17, initially operating 2X-weekly before rising to 3X-weeky from June 12.