European airlines will introduce 50 new flight routes across multiple airports in October 2026 as part of the northern winter 2026-27 schedule expansion, significantly increasing direct service options.
Finnair Launches New Australia Service via Bangkok
Finnair will begin daily flights between Helsinki Airport and Melbourne Airport via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on October 25, 2026, operating Airbus A350 aircraft. The return flight from Melbourne will commence on October 26. This route provides Finnair fifth-freedom rights between Bangkok and Melbourne, allowing passengers to book either sector independently. The service will also connect travelers through Helsinki to about 90 destinations across Finnair’s European network, making it one of the few
European carriers operating its own planes to Australia.
Western Sydney International Airport Commences Operations
Jetstar will operate the inaugural passenger flight from Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) on October 25, 2026, with a flight to Gold Coast Airport using A320 aircraft. Jetstar’s initial WSI network will include up to 14 weekly flights to Melbourne, four to Gold Coast, and three to Brisbane. Unlike Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, WSI will operate without a nighttime curfew.
Air New Zealand will launch three weekly international services from WSI to Auckland Airport starting October 26, using A320 and A321 aircraft. The carrier will maintain its operations at Kingsford Smith
Airport, offering two gateways for Sydney travelers.
Etihad Airways Expands Middle East and International Routes
Etihad Airways will initiate weekly flights from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport on October 4, 2026, with A320 aircraft. This service will increase to twice weekly from October 25. Etihad is adding this new destination amid growth in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector.
Additionally, Etihad will start four weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg Airport in October, deployed with A321neo-family aircraft, marking the first service by a Middle Eastern airline to Luxembourg. The service is expected to serve passengers from neighboring Belgium, France, and Germany.
On
October 25, Etihad will launch a four times weekly Boeing 787-9 route connecting Abu Dhabi and Calgary International Airport. This will be the first nonstop flight between the Middle East and Western Canada, enabled by the expanded Canada-UAE air services agreement allowing 35 weekly passenger flights per country.
European Airlines Add Long-Haul Routes for Winter Season
Lufthansa will resume five weekly year-round flights between Frankfurt Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport starting October 25, 2026, using 287-seat Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Swiss International Air Lines is set to begin five weekly flights between Zurich Airport and Bengaluru, India, at the start of the winter season, marking its entry into
southern India.
British Airways will restart three weekly winter-season flights from London Gatwick Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport Colombo on October 23, using 777 aircraft. This resumption comes after an 11-year hiatus and connects a market that saw approximately 452,000 two-way passengers between the UK and Sri Lanka in 2025.
North American Airlines Expand Asia and Canary Islands Connections
United Airlines will restore daily service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Tokyo Narita Airport starting October 24, 2026, using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The airline already operates flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport and will compete with All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines at Narita. American Airlines plans to launch daily
flights on the same route starting March 27, 2027, with Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Air Canada will inaugurate two routes to Tenerife South Airport using its A321XLR aircraft. The airline will operate two weekly flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport beginning October 25, 2026, and one weekly service from Montreal Airport starting October 31. These will provide the only nonstop connections between North America and the Canary Islands.
Delta Air Lines to Launch First U.S. Nonstop to Saudi Arabia
Delta Air Lines is scheduled to begin daily flights between Atlanta Airport and Riyadh Airport on October 23, 2026. Initial service will use A350-900 aircraft daily during the first week, transitioning to three
weekly flights thereafter. This will be Delta’s first route to Saudi Arabia and the first nonstop service between the U.S. and Riyadh operated by a U.S. carrier.
