Top new flight routes for 2019
Clients can travel the world more easily than ever thanks to a host of new routes launching this year, says Abra Dunsby
EUROPE:
Timisoara, Romania
Wizz Air will begin flying to Timisoara from Doncaster Sheffield airport twice a week from September 2. Prices start from £26.99 one way.
Built around a series of pretty public squares, parks and gardens, Timisoara in western Romania is known for its Secessionist architecture, and will be the European Capital of Culture in 2021. Clients can explore the city’s main attractions on foot, stopping for a drink at one of the many cafes perched along on the Bega river, or eating tasty traditional dishes such as goulash and polenta in the array of restaurants.
Kvarner Bay, Croatia
Tui will launch flights to Kvarner Bay for summer 2019, flying twice a week from both Manchester and Gatwick, launching on May 23. Flights can be arranged as part of a holiday package.
Tui has seen unique searches to Croatia rise by almost 30% since 2017. Tui Airways has responded to demand by launching new flights to the port town of Rijeka on Croatia’s Adriatic
coast, located on Kvarner Bay. Clients flying with Tui can also access the nearby island of Rab via ferry for free. The island marries modern with medieval – seafood restaurants stand alongside crumbling architecture, and annual jousting competitions draw in crowds.
Burgas, Bulgaria
Jet2.com will launch services to Burgas from all its UK bases, including Belfast International, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle. Flights launch May 6. Prices start from £85 one way.
Clients looking for an affordable beach break need look no further than Burgas, located along the Black Sea. As well as its long, uncrowded beach, the port city offers a seafront park, a clutch of museums and many good restaurants.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Scandinavian Airlines will fly twice a week to Copenhagen from Newquay’s Cornwall airport from June 28. Prices start from £190 one way.
Cornish clients can now hop over to Copenhagen for a long weekend of Scandi cool. The Danish capital offers impressive architecture and design, a proactive approach to sustainability and a booming restaurant scene, with 15 Michelin stars to its name. Cool new areas of the city are emerging, from the Meatpacking District, abuzz with contemporary, creative restaurants, to the cafe-strewn Jaegersborggade.
Calvi, Corsica
Air Corsica is launching a direct route to Calvi from Stansted on May 18, flying once a week. Prices start from £59 one way.
The picture-postcard town of Calvi is in the heart of the Balagne, a north-western region of Corsica that is currently largely undiscovered by the UK market. The dramatic landscape is characterised by hilltop villages and many beaches and secluded coves, backed by mountains that remain snow-capped until early summer.
MIDDLE EAST
Izmir, Turkey
Jet2.com will fly to Izmir from six of its UK bases, including Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle. Manchester will be the first to launch on May 1. Prices start from £89 one way.
This city on the Aegean coast is steeped in ancient history and was battled over by the Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. Clients can get a taste of tradition by wandering through ancient ruins or exploring bustling bazaars. For lazier days, they can relax on one of many beautiful beaches or sip Turkish coffee on the pier.
Islamabad, Pakistan
British Airways will fly to Islamabad three times a week from Heathrow, launching June 2. Prices start from £352 one way.
The carrier is returning to the Pakistani capital for the first time in 10 years. Thomas Drew, the British high commissioner to Pakistan at British Airways, says: “The links between Britain and Pakistan are already extraordinary – from culture and cricket, to people, politics and education. I see this launch as a vote of confidence in the future of those links and, of course, a reflection
of the great improvements in the security situation in Pakistan in recent years.” The city is dotted with parks and has a huge selection of museums, markets and mosques.
ASIA
Osaka, Japan
British Airways will fly direct to Osaka from Heathrow four times a week, launching April 1. Prices start from £472 one way.
Japan’s third-largest city sings to its own tune and is often overlooked by tourists in favour of Tokyo. No longer – BA’s new flight route is putting Osaka firmly on the map, as is the Rugby World Cup, which is hosting various matches in the city this year. Those who visit will discover high-tech skyscrapers, ancient temples and delicious street food, as well as Japan’s most gregarious locals.
CARIBBEAN
Los Cabos, Mexico
Tui will fly to Los Cabos for winter 2019, offering two flights a week from Gatwick from November 8. Flights can be arranged as part of a holiday package.
Renowned as a haunt of the rich and famous, this exclusive Mexican resort is lauded for its beaches, golf courses and celebrity holidaymakers, from Jennifer Aniston to George Clooney.
NORTH AMERICA
Charleston, US
British Airways will begin flying to Charleston twice a week from April 4. Prices start from £287 one way.
South Carolina’s oldest and biggest city welcomes clients with old-fashioned southern hospitality. History is alive on its cobbled streets, complete with 18th and 19th-century mansions, horse-drawn carriages and sprawling cemeteries. Clients can learn about Gullah culture in the Old Slave Mart museum, or discover the romantic French Quarter.
Pittsburgh, US
From April 2, British Airways will launch a year-round flight from Heathrow to Pittsburgh, flying four times a week. Prices start from £272 one way.
Once famed for its steel industry, Pittsburgh has redefined itself as a hip, modern city with an urban edge. Home to impressive architecture, Pittsburgh is also the birthplace of Andy Warhol, whose life is charted at the Andy Warhol museum. This year sees the opening of two cool hotels: the urban, boutique-style Tryp Hotel Pittsburgh in the Lawrenceville neighbourhood and the millennial-focused Moxy hotel in downtown.
Ontario, Canada
Norwegian Air will begin flying daily from Dublin to Hamilton International airport in Ontario from March 31. Prices start from £160 one way.
Whether clients are flying to Ontario to discover the cosmopolitan cities of Toronto and Ottawa, or to venture into the province’s wilderness to scout for wildlife, Ontario has plenty of appeal. The region is also home to more than 250,000 lakes, including the Great Lakes that border the US, as well as Niagara Falls.
LATIN AMERICA
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Norwegian will fly to Rio de Janeiro from Gatwick from March 31 four times a week. Prices start from £240 one way.
Norwegian launched flights to Buenos Aires earlier this year, its first route into South America, and ramped the frequency up to four times a week soon after to meet demand. The carrier hopes its first entry into the Brazilian market will be met with similar success. Rio needs no introduction: a city of superlative beaches, mountain vistas and samba and caipirinha-fuelled nightlife.
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