March 2024 Ushers in 50 New Airline Destinations, Expanding Global Connectivity

The aviation industry is set to witness a significant expansion in March 2024, with 50 new routes being introduced by airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Vistara, Hainan Airlines, and Zipair Tokyo. This move comes as the northern summer 2024 season approaches, marking a period of vigorous growth and enhanced global connectivity.

Virgin Atlantic is leading the charge by adding Bengaluru to its list of destinations in India, alongside New Delhi and Mumbai. This new route from London Heathrow Airport, set to commence on March 31, will see daily operations using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, placing Virgin Atlantic in direct competition with British Airways. This expansion builds on Virgin Atlantic’s codeshare partnership with Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo, established in August 2022.

Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, is also contributing to the enhancement of India-Europe connections. The airline will introduce a route between Mumbai and Paris Charles de Gaulle on March 28, offering five weekly flights with 787-9 aircraft. This addition follows Vistara’s expansion of its long-haul services from Mumbai, which began in June 2023 with flights to London Heathrow and continued with the launch of Frankfurt Airport flights in November.

Hainan Airlines is expanding its reach to Milan Malpensa Airport from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, starting March 19, with two weekly flights on 787-9 aircraft. This service complements the airline’s existing flights to Milan from Shenzhen, launched in November of the previous year.

Japan Airlines’ subsidiary, Zipair Tokyo, is set to commence a 3X-weekly service between Tokyo Narita and Vancouver on March 13. This route marks Zipair Tokyo’s ninth international destination and fifth in North America. Concurrently, Japan Airlines will inaugurate its first route to Doha, Qatar, on March 31.

Domestically within Colombia, JetSmart, backed by Indigo Partners, will begin operations on March 14, connecting Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport to several Colombian cities and expanding JetSmart’s existing international network in the country.

Avianca is set to introduce a 4X-weekly service from Bogota to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport on March 31, deploying Airbus A320 aircraft on the 2,815-mile sector. This route follows Avianca’s successful entry into the Canadian market in December 2021 with service to Toronto, highlighting the airline’s commitment to expanding its North American footprint.

Other notable new routes include AirAsia X‘s Central Asia expansion with a new route between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty, Kazakhstan; Etihad Airways’ flights to Boston; and Swiss adding Washington Dulles as its latest U.S. gateway.

These 50 new routes signify the aviation industry’s ongoing recovery and growth, offering travelers more options and flexibility for international and domestic travel.