Thursday, July 17, 2025
Airlines are not just bouncing back from the pandemic but also accelerating as the world continues to recover from it. A wave of new and resuscitated routes announced this week suggests carriers have regained some confidence in global travel demand and that some are betting big on strategic and leisure markets alike. From the Middle East to Europe and Southeast Asia, travelers now have more options — and more reasons — to begin planning their next adventure.
A Strategic Takeoff: Airlines Align Network Growth With Demand
Israir Airlines has received the U.S. Department of Transportation’s approval for its foreign air carrier permit after 16 years of absent from the US. With this regulatory blessing, the Israeli airline is now on track to start nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and the New York metro area, and is expected to launch service in early 2026. The carrier’s decision to use Airbus A330-200s points to a significant move for trans-Atlantic traffic, and one that seeks to attract both Jewish holiday travel and the larger leisure market.
This move reflects a larger trend: legacy and regional carriers are taking measured risks by entering or re-entering some of the most profitable markets. As aviation analysts point out, when done effectively, they can help diversify revenue and provide a backup plan in the event of geopolitical or operating upsets.
Etihad Airways has, by contrast, extended its reach via a new codeshare agreement with Greece’s SKY express. This partnership will enable Etihad passengers to travel to 24 Greek islands + other Eastern Mediterranean destinations through Athens—without growing its own fleet. This type of codeshare is an example of a slimmer, more collaborative model of global expansion.
More Flights, More Flexibility: Passengers Win Big
Travelers are already benefiting as network planners sharpen their pencils. KLM’s announcement to increase the daily frequency from three to four flights a day between Amsterdam and Leeds Bradford Airport, from this winter, comes as a response to increased demand from both business and leisure travelers in the U.K.-North. The extra frequency has been added to offer more options for same-day returning flights, weekend return trips, and convenient onward connections to KLM’s worldwide network.
Budget airlines are also doing their share. Thai AirAsia added another service from Bangkok to Hai Phong in Vietnam — the carrier now serves the city on six routes from the Thai capital. The airline’s CEO spoke of how Vietnam is becoming a travel destination and with four flights each week the AirAsia group is now making a bet on continuing growth in intra-ASEAN leisure travel.
Meanwhile, FlyOne, Moldova’s only low-cost airline, unveiled a new direct route connecting Chisinau with Naples. This new entry serves not just the sunblasted south of Italy to which tourists throng, but also Moldova’s considerable diaspora in the region: a handsome mélange of leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) nous.
The Return Of Sun-Seeking Tourism
Leisure travel continues to be the linchpin of recovery, and airlines are exploiting the season to cash in on it. Luxair, the national airline in Luxembourg, announced it will serve 101 destinations during the summer 2026 season, marking five new routes and four relaunches. Highlights include flights to Porto Santo in Portugal, Helsinki, Zakynthos and the Greek Peloponnese.
The Zakynthos–Araxos rotation will be a dual-destination service, allowing passengers to enjoy two Greek retreats on one booking. This kind of creative routing signals a changing landscape in the tourism industry: one in which flexibility, novelty and regional variety count more than ever.
Qatar Airways is also dipping its toes back into Syria, with flights to Aleppo for the first time since 2011. The reopening is a sign of gradual thawing between the country and its aviation industry. Despite lingering political sensitivities, the airline sees opportunity in connecting a historically significant city to a large diaspora within the region.
A Global Network Of Possibilities
Collectively, the announcements, and others like them, were about more than a commercial turnaround — they were about the roadmap for the next era of global connectivity. Airlines are getting more sophisticated in the way they use capacity, enter markets and target passenger segments. Long-term goals being mixed with short-term agility, alongside collaborative partners, is how airlines are creating networks that are robust, nimble and customer focused.
For passengers, that means increased access to growing markets, more flights to the places they want to go and a better regional travel experience. For the tourism business, it’s a rising tide. More flights equal more tourists, and that drives the interests of local economies, fills hospitality-sector jobs, and leads to cultural exchange.
Whether you’re an experienced traveler looking to hit Greece’s sun-soaked islands, a business executive flying into Amsterdam for a meeting or a Moldovan family dropping down to Naples to see their relatives, the world, in 2025, is on the move again.
