New international airline routes connect UAE, US return for Gulf Air

Breeze Airways has expanded its operations by adding Salisbury, Maryland, to its network with flights from Orlando. This is Breeze’s first entry into Maryland and marks the first time in more than ten years that Salisbury is served by two airlines. Several other new domestic U.S. routes have also started recently by Breeze, Allegiant Air, and Southwest Airlines. Many of these new services face direct competition from existing carriers.

Allegiant began twice-weekly flights linking Appleton-Gulf Shores, Des Moines-Gulf Shores, and Knoxville-Key West. Gulf Shores only began commercial operations earlier this year; Allegiant is currently the sole operator at that airport.

Southwest Airlines introduced new services between Jacksonville-Austin (six weekly) and Fresno-San Diego (13 weekly), providing more options in markets that now have two competing airlines for the first time.

Saudi low-cost carrier flynas has added three international routes: Dammam-Damascus (competing directly with SyrianAir), Jeddah-Priština (the first such connection), and Riyadh-Nairobi (a market previously served by Saudia until 2022). All three are operated with Airbus A320neo aircraft three times per week.

Air Canada launched flights between Montreal and Guatemala City on October 2. It is Air Canada’s first operation to Guatemala City in at least two decades, initially flying three times weekly before reducing frequency. With up to 41,000 annual round-trip passengers between Montreal and Guatemala City—more than between Toronto and Guatemala—the airline deploys widebody A330-300s for this service.

EVA Air started its Dallas/Fort Worth-Taipei route on October 3 using a Boeing 787-9 three times weekly. This marks Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's first passenger connection with Taipei. Although local demand remains modest at fewer than 27,000 round-trip passengers annually, EVA aims to attract connecting travelers heading throughout East and Southeast Asia.

Wizz Air established a base in Yerevan following previous operations without stationed crews or aircraft there since entering Armenia in 2020. With two A321neos based locally, Wizz opened several new routes from Yerevan—Hamburg, Paphos, Paris Beauvais, Prague—with additional destinations set for later in October. As a result of increased capacity deployment according to Cirium data, Wizz Air now offers over one-fifth of all available seats at Yerevan airport this month.

Saudia’s budget subsidiary flyadeal inaugurated two new Saudi Arabia-Syria routes: Jeddah-Damascus (three weekly) and Riyadh-Damascus (four weekly), both using A320neo jets. Flyadeal faces competition from flynas—which also serves both city pairs—and SyrianAir on some frequencies.