New routes and services

AIR Arabia will launch a direct, three-times-a-week service to Athens, Greece starting 21 April. Air Arabia now serves 45 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, central Asia and southern Europe.

AirAsia X will start cargo operations to and from Europe from 11 March. The airline will fly between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to London Stansted, UK five times a week using an A340-300 – about eight tonnes of capacity a flight. AirAsia X currently operates three A330 aircraft from Kuala Lumpur to Australia and China and has orders for 25 A330 aircraft to be delivered progressively over the next five years.

UK-based Avient has launched a weekly service from Paris-Vatry, France to Harare, Zimbabwe as of 28 February. The cargo airline also flies from Paris-Vatry to Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Kenya and Uganda.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways will launch of a daily non-stop flight from Delhi, India to Bangkok, Thailand from 30 March. It already flies to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore but is planning on expanding its cargo network within India when the market recovers.

Cathay Pacific Cargo has also launched its Houston, US to Hong Kong freighter service on 6 March. Using a Boeing 747-400ERF Cathay Pacific Cargo will fly the Hong Kong-Anchorage-Miami-Houston-Anchorage-Hong Kong route, mainly shipping oil and gas equipment, industrial machinery and high-tech components for distribution throughout Asia.

Delta Airlines will resume its non-stop cargo flight between Bucharest and New York as of 2 June. Delta, represented by Sky-XS in Romania, will use a Boeing 767-300 that will transport 20 tonnes a week.

GMG Airlines has split its Delhi and Dubai service. The Dhaka to Dubai route will now operates six times a week with an A320 while the Dhaka to Delhi route will operate three times a week with an MD82.

The Hungary-based Malév will resume its second flight a day between Budapest, Hungary and Hamburg, Germany from 29 March.

Following its recent Russian takeover, Malév is also partnering with Aeroflot to provide two flights between Budapest and Moscow, Russia; Malév using a B737 and Aeroflot an A319.

From 11 May S7 Airlines is use an Airbus A310 instead of a Boeing 767 on its Moscow to Khabarovsk service. The service will increase the frequency from three to five times a week from 29 March and daily from 28 May.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) Cargo is now operating to the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, Quito in Ecuador, and Bogotá in Colombia. SIA Cargo currently operates to 29 cities in 17 countries, with a fleet of 12 Boeing freighters.

Transavia.com France will fly a B737 from Paris Orly, France to Olbia and Catania, Italy twice a week, starting on 9 April and 29 June respectively.

Virgin Atlantic and Finnair are to stop their services to Mumbai. Virgin will stop after 3 May while Finnair will suspend its service between May to mid-October.