Essentially the most-exciting new airline routes for 2025: TPG’s picks

New 12 months, new routes.

Whereas most individuals are enthusiastic about their New Yr’s resolutions, AvGeeks and airline trade fans have a listing of their very own to look ahead to because the calendar flips from December to January.

That may be the bevy of latest airline routes introduced final 12 months, lots of which launch in 2025. Within the U.S. alone, lots of of latest routes have been introduced in 2024 to various levels of fanfare. They included all the things from ho-hum expansions — suppose new flights from a hub to a small metropolis or seasonal routes to trip hotspots — to outright blockbusters.

TPG’s Aviation group seemed again at these to see which of them we have been most enthusiastic about within the 12 months forward.

Our picks embrace a few of these blockbusters, but in addition some that say as a lot about an evolving airline technique as the brand new route itself.

United Airways was a preferred choose from everybody on workers, and the way might it not be. The Chicago-based provider’s community planning group has been aggresive the previous few years with a daring worldwide growth that includes splashy, unique additions. And 2024 was no exception, the place Greenland, Mongolia and Morocco have been solely a number of the highlights.

Nonetheless, loads of different new additions had us speaking. Our picks included a little bit of all the things from new service to large markets (Tokyo) and small (Belleville, Illinois). It is a possible wager you will see a few of them nominated for the “sexiest new routes of the 12 months” — sure, that is a factor.

As for our checklist, the one standards have been new routes introduced in 2024 (no matter launch date) for flights inside or from the U.S. or on a U.S. airline. Learn on to see what we picked.

United Airways: Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

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You will see this route greater than as soon as on this checklist, and for good cause: Mongolia is about as far-flung and unique a vacation spot as you will discover for a U.S. airline. United will not be flying it nonstop from the U.S. however quite from Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT), the place it is one in every of two American carriers with rights to fly to different locations within the area. Regardless, seeing United Boeing 737s flying into the Mongolian capital is definitely one of the crucial fascinating additions for a U.S. airline.

American Airways: Carlsbad, California, to Phoenix

When American’s American Eagle regional associates start flying from Carlsbad subsequent month, it’s going to be the one main airline model working from McClellan–Palomar Airport (CLD) about 35 miles north of San Diego. This route drew my consideration not a lot for this explicit metropolis pair, however quite for what’s been one in every of American’s extra fascinating community methods of late. It is more and more added smaller airports with little or no main airline service, permitting it to carve out area of interest markets with out direct competitors from its major rivals. Different current related additions embrace Utah’s Provo Municipal Airport (PVU), Cape Cod Gateway Airport (HYA) in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Ian Fleming Worldwide Airport (OCJ) in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, and — starting subsequent month — the little-used South Caicos Airport (XSC) within the Turks and Caicos. (Extra on that under.)

Allegiant: Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Belleville, Illinois

Uncommon airline routes have me ever since I used to be a child, and — on the floor — this one is as obscure as they arrive. But it surely highlights the kind of area of interest market that Allegiant has cultivated this century: increasing to small airports with little or no industrial airline service simply exterior bigger metros. Two of these once-sleepy airports — Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) close to Fort Myers, Florida, and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) close to Phoenix — at the moment are among the many busiest in Allegiant’s community. For the Gulf Shores-Belleville route, which begins Could 23, Allegiant would be the solely provider flying from both airport. The leisure provider has long-served Belleville, the place the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) sits about 30 miles from downtown St. Louis. Gulf Shores is a brand new airport for Allegiant — or any airline, for that matter — and lies about15 miles from the Florida border alongside the more and more fashionable Gulf Coast shoreline.

United Airways: Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

United’s community group would not draw back from experimenting with new routes, however this one may simply be the provider’s wildest one but. I, for one, actually did not have United saying service to Mongolia on my 2024 bingo card, however right here we’re. The airline is profiting from its historic fifth-freedom rights to function this service that operates as a part of persevering with service between Tokyo and Guam. Vacationers will be capable to join with only one cease from the U.S. to Mongolia, all aboard United steel. — Zach Griff, TPG

Hawaiian Airline Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska

I additionally would not have thought Pualani — the character on the tail of Hawaiian Airways plane — could be discovered on a route from Seattle to Anchorage, no much less on a wide-body Airbus A330. However Alaska Airways introduced just some weeks in the past that it will deploy a Hawaiian Airways Airbus A330 on this route subsequent summer time throughout the peak journey window. The transfer comes as the 2 carriers start their community integration following the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian getting permitted. — Zach Griff, TPG

Delta Air Traces: New York to Sicily

Whereas Sicily has soared in reputation lately (thanks, partly, to White Lotus), traditionally there hasn’t been a nonstop flight from the U.S. to this Italian island. That’ll change subsequent summer time when each Delta and United add service to Sicily. Delta introduced its new route first; it’s going to fly to Catania starting on Could 22. Just some weeks after Delta’s announcement, United additionally introduced that it will begin flying from Newark to Palermo (additionally in Sicily) starting on Could 21. — Zach Griff, TPG

Emirates: Miami to Bogota, Colombia

Flying in one in every of Emirates’ ultra-swanky first-class seats to Dubai can value 1000’s of {dollars} money, or considerably reduce into your stash of factors. Nonetheless, a brand new, extra inexpensive option to expertise the Center Jap provider’s famend service that was introduced (and launched) in 2024. Recognized within the trade as a “fifth freedom” route, Emirates’ service from Bogota to Miami is one which operates between two locations that do not contact an airline’s dwelling nation. Although the flight is technically a continuation of Emirates’ service between Dubai and Miami, Emirates is ready to promote tickets simply on the Miami-Bogota leg. Because of this route, TPG’s Eric Rosen was in a position to redeem 60,000 Emirates Skywards miles for a first-class seat on one in every of its Boeing 777-300ER jets — not low cost, by any measure, however far lower than you’d pay (particularly factoring in taxes and costs) for a for much longer flight to Dubai. — Sean Cudahy, TPG

United Airways: Newark to Marrakech, Morocco

In October, I tagged alongside as United Airways launched nonstop winter seasonal service from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to Marrakech, Morocco — within the course of changing into the one U.S. airline immediately serving the nation. In some ways, this route — additionally introduced and launched in 2024 — served as a launching pad for a collection of borderline-obscure new routes United is planning within the months to return, from Senegal to Sicily and nonstop service to Greenland the provider plans to debut in 2025. Within the case of United’s Marrakech service, it is operated with United’s so-called “high-J” Boeing 767, that includes a whopping 46 lie-flat Polaris seats, and unlocks a vacation spot rated amongst TPG’s 29 greatest locations to journey in 2025. — Sean Cudahy, TPG

American Airways: Miami to South Caicos within the Turks and Caicos

American did not make as large a splash as, say, United, in saying the place it’s going to fly in 2025; there is no signal of Greenland or Mongolia in its plans. However the Fort Price, Texas-based provider does have some new plans up its sleeves within the new 12 months. As an example, it can turn out to be the one U.S. airline to fly nonstop to the island of South Caicos in February. American would be the solely main airline on the airport, which in any other case has solely small regional operaters flying inside the Turks and Caicos. Chatting with TPG in October, American’s chief community planner touted the provider’s rising route map within the Caribbean and Latin America as a power, and an intentional technique. American, as an illustration, just lately launched nonstop service to Ocho Rios, Jamaica (close to a preferred Sandals resort) and can fly to Carlsbad, California (not removed from the Legoland California theme park), come February. “We have added numerous new locations, area of interest kind locations,” mentioned Brian Znotins, American’s senior vice chairman of community and schedule planning. “If we will save folks time, this manner, that is one thing I am within the enterprise of doing.” — Sean Cudahy, TPG

Aer Lingus: Dublin to Nashville and Indianapolis

At first look, Aer Lingus saying nonstop service from its Dublin dwelling base to Nashville and Indianapolis would not come near qualifying for a listing of probably the most thrilling airline routes. However the Irish provider’s latest U.S. service is notable due to the plane flying the 2 routes — and what it means for air journey in 2025 and past. Aer Lingus will fly to Nashville and Indy with its new Airbus A321XLR, a narrow-body jet with significantly long-range. For Aer Lingus and plenty of different airways, the jet ought to unlock new varieties of intercontinental routes, permitting airways to fly to extra “off-the-beaten-path” worldwide locations … or, on this case, enabling new European routes for smaller U.S. cities. American hopes to do exactly that with its personal XLRs — that’s, after it replaces it four-cabin “A321T” with the brand new plane on premium transcontinental routes in 2025. — Sean Cudahy, TPG

JetBlue: Boston to Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh, and Scotland extra broadly, is probably my favourite place on the planet. I lived there for a 12 months for graduate faculty, and have been again many occasions to go to mates, discover new locations and return to previous favourite websites. Edinburgh could have been barely off the radar once I first moved there, however that actually is not the case anymore, with the variety of worldwide guests climbing steadily, in line with knowledge from the Scottish Tourism Observatory. I am at all times thrilled to see it simpler to get there from the U.S., and JetBlue’s newest seasonal European flight would be the just one connecting my present hometown to the Scottish capital with nonstop service. I am wanting ahead to taking it when it begins subsequent spring and may’t anticipate my first go to in a couple of years! I am additionally thrilled to see American start its first-ever service to town, launching from its Philadelphia hub across the similar time. I am hoping that one will assist broaden award availability to Edinburgh, too. — David Slotnick, TPG

United Airways: Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Actually, I am simply so interested by this one. It is an uncommon route for the airline, which serves a handful of Asia-Pacific locations from its Tokyo hub utilizing Boeing 737 narrowbodies which might be primarily based in Guam. However Ulaanbaatar is sort of an uncommon one. United has mentioned that the vacation spot presents a gateway to off-the-grid, stunning landscapes throughout the nation, and that there is a chance to win over passengers who beforehand linked to Ulaanbaatar by Beijing. It is reflective of United’s post-pandemic technique of increasing service to less-common worldwide locations, whether or not that be secondary cities in international locations which might be already fashionable, or locations that may not have occurred to People to go to earlier than. The airline depends on a mixture of passengers who’re visiting mates and relations, together with pure leisure clients, lots of whom the airline tries to entice by advertising and marketing locations themselves, quite than the flights. That additionally helps appeal to potential clients to have interaction extra with the airline, both by becoming a member of its frequent flyer program or by signing up for a cobranded bank card. Up to now the technique appears to be working properly, so it is going to be fascinating to see the way it performs out in Ulaanbaatar. — David Slotnick, TPG

Alaska Airways/Hawaiian Airways: Seattle to Tokyo

Alaska Airways introduced its first main long-haul flight since its merger with Hawaiian Airways was permitted, giving it new Airbus A330 widebody jets for the primary time. The route itself is not essentially that thrilling by itself, as there may be loads of service obtainable from the West Coast to Tokyo. As an alternative, this route — together with Seoul and others to return — indicators Alaska’s intent to rework its Seattle hub into a worldwide gateway and compete immediately with partner-turned-rival Delta. Demand on the Tokyo route is powerful, so it is a logical one for the mixed airways so as to add. Plus, it is fascinating (and thrilling) to see Alaska make its first large play to plug Hawaiian’s plane into its Seattle hub. — David Slotnick, TPG