New long-haul routes for winter 2026/27

The northern winter schedule started at the end of October. These are the launches that change how you can get somewhere, grouped by region.

Middle East and Asia

• Delta, Atlanta to Riyadh from 23 October: the first US nonstop to the Saudi capital, daily for the first week and then three times weekly.
• Etihad, Abu Dhabi to Calgary from 25 October: the first nonstop between the Gulf and western Canada.
• Virgin Atlantic, London Heathrow to Phuket from 18 October, three times weekly on a 787-9.
• Finnair, Helsinki to Melbourne via Bangkok from 25 October, daily, with the Bangkok to Melbourne leg sold separately.

Atlantic

• TAP Air Portugal, Lisbon to Orlando from 29 October, three times weekly.
• British Airways, Gatwick to Barbados from 25 October and Gatwick to Colombo restored from 23 October.
• American Airlines announced 15 new nonstop international routes for the coming year; check the airline's schedule for start dates.

Africa

• Ethiopian Airlines, Addis Ababa to Nacala (Mozambique) from 27 October, three times weekly, part of a wider expansion with Royal Air Maroc codeshares.

Fleet note

Lufthansa flew its last Airbus A340-600 services on 18 October. Routes move to twin-engine A350 and 787 aircraft, so expect different seat maps on former A340 routes.

Sources

• Aviation Week: 50 new routes launching in October 2026
• Aerospace Global News: 25 new routes for winter 2026/27
• Simple Flying: American Airlines' 15 new routes

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026. Schedules and fees change; confirm with the operator before you book.