Welcome to my 98th weekly routes newsletter! I’ve covered a few subjectively exciting routes that took off recently. Why not join and receive my newsletter in your email inbox every week?
Avelo opens Las Vegas base
On September seventh, Avelo opened its brand-new base on the ever-popular Las Vegas, its sixth base countrywide and second within the nation’s west after Burbank.
It has stationed one 147-seat Boeing 737-700 in Las Vegas, with which it has launched Redmond (twice-weekly), Arcata/Eureka (twice-weekly; see below), and Brownsville (two to 4 weekly). Allegiant served Brownsville-Las Vegas in 2015 and linked Redmond for years until 2022.
Photo: via Avelo.
Avelo has served Sin City since September 2021 using non-based equipment. It launched with service from Santa Rosa, then Arcata/Eureka in November 2021 (ended May 2022, but returned in September 2023), Fort Collins (December 2021-June 2022), and Redding (January 2022-December 2022). Santa Rosa continues.
Alongside Redmond, Brownsville, Santa Rosa, and Arcata/Eureka, Dubuque begins on September 13 and Salem on October 5, each twice-weekly. Neither city has had Las Vegas flights before.
Stockholm celebrates 10 years of Emirates
On September 4th, Stockholm Arlanda celebrated a decade for the reason that launch of Emirates’ passenger flights on that day in 2013. The celebration got here shortly after Arlanda celebrated 20 years of Norwegian from the airport.
When Emirates launched Stockholm, it was its second destination within the Nordics after Copenhagen (which began in August 2011). Oslo joined the duo in September 2014. While Emirates doesn’t serve Helsinki, its narrowbody-operating partner, flydubai, does (launched in October 2018).
Photo: via Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
Emirates continues to serve Stockholm every day using the Boeing 777-300ER. EK157 leaves Dubai at 08:40 and arrives in Sweden at 13:45. Returning, EK158 departs at 15:25 and returns at 00:05+1.
Within the yr to June 2023, about 115,000 roundtrip passengers transited over Dubai, with Tehran, Dhaka, and Bengaluru being the three hottest markets.
Breezing into Tampa-Raleigh Durham
Breeze inaugurated Tampa to Raleigh Durham on September seventh, just after American ended it. Using the Airbus A220-300, Breeze runs twice-weekly, rising to a few weekly in October. The operating aircraft is predicated in Tampa, and its day flying is Tampa-Raleigh Durham-Las Vegas and back the reverse way. It leaves Florida at 07:00 and arrives back at 22:45.
Photo: via Tampa International Airport.
Breeze is one in every of 4 airlines on the 587-mile (945 km) airport pair in September. It joins Delta (16 weekly), Southwest (eight weekly), and Avelo (twice-weekly). Nonetheless, Avelo ends the route on October twenty ninth, the day before it switches to winter schedules.
Airlink to Lilongwe
South Africa’s Airlink has launched Johannesburg to Lilongwe, Malawi. Operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the 922-mile (1,484 km) route uses the 37-seat Embraer ERJ-135. Such small RJs have low trip costs but high seat-mile costs, necessitating high fares. Flightradar24 shows that the primary flight, on September 4th, took 2h 8m.
Photo: via Airlink.
If flights are considered, Lilongwe is Johannesburg’s 18th most-served international destination in September. (Harare is first.) Airlink competes directly with Ethiopian’s every day 737-800 non-stop service, while SAA uses A320s twice-weekly via Blantyre.
Southwest back on Oakland-Baltimore
Southwest reintroduced Oakland to Baltimore on September fifth, having served it until 2021. At 2,447 miles (3,937 km), the route is Southwest’s longest mainland-only offering in September. Various Hawaii-mainland routes are longer.
Photo: via Oakland International Airport.
Southwest has an on-off relationship with Oakland-Baltimore. It operated 2006-2007, then resumed in 2014, when it continued until April 2021. ULCC Spirit competed directly in 2017-2018. Now Southwest is back and has a every day service, variously using the 737-700, 737-800, and MAX 8.
The schedule varies, but on September twelfth, WN888 leaves California at 10:55 and arrives at 19:05 local. Within the reverse direction, WN1207 leaves Maryland at 14:55 and gets to Oakland at 17:35, a 5h 40m block time.
That is it for the 98th edition of my routes newsletter. Enroll to get something like this in your inbox each week.