The airline industry has been on a roller coaster of uncertainty as the Pandemic continues into 2022, but that is not stopping airlines from expanding their international networks.
The demand for air travel has gone up since the summer as people feel more comfortable flying on aircraft. With the surge, the big three carriers in the US, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, as well as foreign carriers, have been eager to bring back their long-haul markets and have announced a plethora of new international routes.
The Omicron variant has added uncertainty to the equation. The projected global air traffic has been lowered by a credit rating agency due to a slow rebound in international traffic and constrained business travel. Some airlines don't think the new variant will affect the launch of the international service.
Kirby told reporters in December that it is too early to tell, but that the company is seeing some cancellation. He said he is optimistic about future demand, and that he doesn't think bookings will decrease as much as they did for the Delta variant.
When asked if their international network will be impacted by Omicron, American, Delta, and United, they said their routes are still on track.
Delta told Insider that the scheduled start dates remain intact, despite the impact of external factors that may necessitate change, as has been the case in regards to international routes.
Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, said that it depends on how countries respond to the Omicron variant.
He said that they were not sure if countries would impose new restrictions on US visitors. We don't know if the key cities, attractions, and businesses that cater to tourists will be open or locked down. The factors affect leisure and business travel.
Most of the high-profile routes coming in 2022, are to Europe or the Middle East, with many Asian countries being left behind by carriers. The slow recovery and delayed opening of country borders are the main reasons for this.
American Airlines' vice president of network planning, Brian Znontins, told Insider that demand to Asia will take a year or two to rebound. The airline's return to Beijing and Shanghai has been impacted by bilateral issues with the Chinese government.
Znontins said that the Chinese government only allowed them to fly two times a week to China.
There are 13 high-profile international routes coming in 2022.
Between New York and Doha.
The capital of the state of Qatar.
The photo is by Sven Hansche.
On June 4th, American will launch a new daily route to the Middle Eastern city of Doha, with a Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline's Oneworld partner, Qatar Airways, also operates daily service to the country.
American's vice president of network planning, Brian Znotins, said that they continue to find ways to build a network that gets customers where they want to go when they are ready to travel. Customers will have more choices as they plan their vacations next year with the addition of Doha and the return of a significant portion of European routes.
Between Dallas/Fort Worth and Tel Aviv.
The city of Tel Aviv.
Universal Images Group and yoshi Images are part of the group.
The airline told The Points Guy that it was postponing its service between Dallas and Tel Aviv due to continued entry restrictions into Israel and slower than expected return of international business travel.
The flagship route is expected to be launched on March 5, though the delay of Boeing deliveries has forced American to change their aircraft. The thrice-weekly route will use a Boeing 777-200ER instead of a Boeing 787-9.
Between Seattle and Bangalore.
Bangalore, India.
Snehal Pa Jeevanilkar is a photo.
On October 29th, American will launch its route between Seattle and Bangalore using a Boeing 787-9. The carrier's longest route will be the daily service, which will cover 8,078 miles. The route was supposed to start in October 2020, but was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
It will serve as a gateway to the US via American's Oneworld alliance partner Alaska Airlines, which can shuttle international passengers from India through its domestic network.
"Despite the number of businesses with a major presence in both India and the West Coast, India is a grossly underserved market," said American's senior vice president of network strategy in a press release. Customers from more than 70 U.S. cities will now be able to get to India in one stop or less, compared to the two, three, or four stops they'd have to make in the past.
Between San Francisco and Bangalore.
EyeEm / Julius Bagnas.
United is going to launch ahead of American on May 26 using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, but it is also going west across the Pacific to Bangalore. The carrier's longest route is 8,701 miles and will compete with Air India.
United is hoping to connect the two tech hubs of San Francisco and Bangalore, India, to tap into the business demand heading to India.
Between Amman, Jordan and Washington D.C.
Amman, Jordan.
mbrand85/shutterstock
Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of international network and alliances, said that the airline will be launching a number of new international destinations next year. There will be three weekly flights between Washington D.C. and Amman using the Boeing 787-9. Royal Jordanian will compete with the carrier.
Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Insider that he thinks United's announcement shows a bold sense of optimism for summer 2022. There are no obvious signs of the route additions that they have made. These are great leisure destinations.
The announcement is the carrier's longest expansion to date.
Between Newark and Ponta Delgado.
Ponta Delgado is in Portugal.
A. Storm Photography.
The second United route will be between Newark and Ponta Delgado. The route will use a Boeing MAX 8 aircraft and face competition from Azores Airlines.
The MAX 8 is the choice of many airlines because of its high efficiency and profitability for low-demand city pairs.
Between Bergen and Newark.
Bergen is in Norway.
There is a photo of Marius Dobilas.
The third United route will be between Newark and Bergen. The route will operate using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft and face no competition.
The airline will use a narrowbody jet on the route.
Between Newark and Palma de Mallorca.
Palma de Mallorca is in Spain.
Balate Dorin is pictured.
The Newark and Palma de Mallorca route will operate three times a week beginning June 2. The route will operate using a Boeing 767 and face no competition.
Between Newark and Tenerife.
Tenerife, Spain is located in Spain.
Balate Dorin is pictured.
The Newark and Tenerife route is the fifth "new, unexpected" United route to start next year. The route will operate using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft and face no competition.
Between St. Louis and Frankfurt.
The city of Frankfurt, Germany.
Pigprox/Shutterstock
The service between St. Louis and Frankfurt will start in June of 2022. The airline has not revealed the number of frequencies or aircraft type, but the historic flight will be the first time in nearly 20 years that the airport has offered trans-Atlantic service.
The move comes as the St. Louis Port Authority and Greater St. Louis Inc., along with a few of its members, put up a collective $5 million in subsidiaries to operate in the city. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, there are a number of large international corporations in the metropolitan area.
Between Portland and London.
Chris Gorman is a photographer.
British Airways will be using a Boeing 787-9 on the London to Portland route. The route will operate five times a week. The route was supposed to start in June 2020, but was delayed due to COVID-19.
The "Atlantic Joint Business" is a joint venture between American Airlines, Finnair, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus.
Between Seattle and Helsinki.
The city of Helsinki, Finland.
Piero Damiani is a photographer.
Finnair's service between Helsinki and Seattle is part of the Atlantic Joint Business. The route will operate three times a week using an A330 jet. The tickets start at $877.
Travel Weekly says that the route will be an important route for Alaska Airlines. The Seattle-based carrier has a strong domestic network that can be used as a gateway for US-bound international travelers.
Between New York and Sweden.
The city of Stockholm, Sweden.
Mistervlad/Shutterstock
On June 1st, Delta Air Lines will begin daily service between New York and Sweden. Finnair, United, and Scandinavian Airlines are some of the carriers that the airline will compete with. The flight is the first in five years for Delta, according to Insider.
We are focused on bringing back the routes and destinations our customers love. Delta said in a statement that customers will discover more routes, premium seats, and destinations in the years to come.
