Airlines Roll Out New Routes as Turkish, Riyadh Air, and Jazeera Expand Networks

(WS News) – Airlines around the world are rolling out a wave of new routes this month, reopening Middle East connections, expanding Gulf carriers into new markets, and deepening China’s push into Europe.

Turkish Airlines is restoring much of its Middle East network, with flights between Istanbul and Dammam resuming July 10, followed by Kuwait on July 11 and Bahrain on July 6, after routes to Dubai and Abu Dhabi came back online earlier in the month. Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s newly launched second national carrier, is set to begin service between Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur on July 30, marking one of its first long-haul routes into Southeast Asia. Elsewhere in the Gulf, Jazeera Airways is returning to the London market for the first time since 2020, launching daily flights between Kuwait and London Luton on July 8 and becoming the first Gulf carrier to serve that airport, betting on underserved traffic between the UK, the Gulf, and the Indian subcontinent.

China’s aviation expansion into Europe is also accelerating. China Eastern Airlines began three-times-weekly A350-900 service between Shanghai Pudong and Dublin on July 20, extending the carrier’s European network to 14 destinations, while Air China restored service between Chengdu Tianfu and London Gatwick on July 12, returning to the airport after shifting its Chengdu operations to Heathrow back in 2019.

Dubai-based Flydubai added daily flights between Dubai International and Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport on July 1, boosting connectivity between the Gulf and Southeast Asia, while Cathay Pacific cut fuel surcharges on tickets by a further 17 percent starting July 16, its third reduction since March and the lowest level since the Middle East conflict began. Together, the additions point to airlines racing to rebuild long-haul capacity and open fresh connections even as broader geopolitical tensions continue to weigh on regional travel demand.