Winter sun in Saudi? The new flight routes to get excited about in 2025

‘Tis the season for new flight routes, and 2025 is looking busy already, with new UK hubs for low-cost airlines, a fresh-faced Middle Eastern carrier, and pioneering links to Asia, Africa, America and more.

These are the most tantalising new launches and the fares to nab now – before everyone catches on. All details are correct at time of press, and prices are included where available.

A win for regional airports

Watch out, London airports: Britain’s regional hubs are gaining momentum. Jet2.com, the UK’s third biggest airline, will open a new base in Bournemouth in February, serving 16 holiday hotspots. Highlights include Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote (from March), Fuerteventura (April), and Menorca and Madeira (June); fares from £38 one-way.

Dutch airline KLM will also launch Exeter–Amsterdam flights on March 30, connecting with the airline’s global network via its Schiphol hub: great timing, as its other new routes include San Diego (from May), Georgetown in Guyana (June) and Hyderabad in India (September).

EasyJet has 21 fresh flights from the UK, including Cape Verde from Gatwick (commencing March 31, from £131.99 one-way) – a tempting prospect for spring sunshine. But the bulk of its newbies will be from regional bases, such as Birmingham (Gran Canaria in May, Malta in June) and Leeds Bradford (Malaga and Palma in April, from £26.99 one-way).

In May, Tui will take off from Southampton to Mallorca, while Norwegian will add two weekly trips from Newcastle to Copenhagen. And if you’re planning next winter’s travels already, check out Jet2.com’s new link to Tallinn, Estonia. It will fly from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester (from late November), for Tallinn’s festive markets and Unesco-listed Old Town.

BA to focus on Italy – and Georgia

British Airways has been chopping its schedule in recent months, announcing suspensions or reductions on several routes – including New York, Miami, Doha and Dallas. It has unveiled just five new ones for 2025, three of which are in Italy: Gatwick–Salerno (in May, from £155 one-way), Heathrow–Rimini (May, £63) and London City–Olbia (May, £63).

Its Heathrow–Kuala Lumpur was scheduled to begin in November 2024, but the Malaysia route has been pushed back until April 1 (from £646 return). Perhaps the most intriguing of its new 2025 options is Tbilisi (from March 31, starting £116 one-way): Georgia’s capital is an up-and-coming hotspot for art, fashion and food.

New routes to Africa

Among safari tour operators, there are rumours of a new Uganda Airlines route between London and Entebbe – for spotting gorillas and lions, or chimp-tracking at the newly opened Kibale Lodge.

If the Maasai Mara is on your wishlist, look to the new Kenya Airways service between Gatwick and Nairobi. It will operate three times weekly from July 2.

On May 1, Virgin Atlantic will recommence its UK–Ghana route for the first time since 2013, with direct flights between Heathrow and Accra. It will be a daily service on Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, with a bar in Upper Class cabins.

Transatlantic fantastic: new flights heading west…

Virgin is on a roll, with another newbie from London to Toronto, Canada, launching on March 20. It’ll swiftly be joined by Air Canada’s new service between Heathrow and Ottawa on March 31, putting the Canadian capital’s festivals and galleries within easier reach – not to mention the vineyards and mountains beyond.

In May, American Airlines will take off daily from Edinburgh to Philadelphia; if the city’s museums and cheesesteaks don’t tempt you, American flies onwards to more than 80 US destinations from its Philly hub.

There are also some juicy new twin-centre holiday prospects for the US, thanks to new flights from Europe. Maybe you’ll have a break in Lisbon, then fly to LA (from £499 return), or head to Boston via Porto (£509)? Both are TAP Air Portugal routes, starting in May.

Meanwhile, music lovers can spend a few days exploring Dublin’s folk scene before flying to Nashville – to catch country legends at the Grand Ole Opry and cruise the “Honky Tonk Highway”. Aer Lingus will start Dublin–Nashville flights on April 12, from €499 (£412) return.

…and east to Thailand, Taiwan and more

UAE flag carrier Etihad is stepping up this year, with new links from the UK to seven Asian cities via its Abu Dhabi hub. (It’s worth stopping over in the UAE for a day or two, as Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is expected to open in 2025.)

First is Taipei, on September 8 (from £1,592 return), putting Taiwan’s coastal road trips, street food and hot springs within easier reach. The Thai region of Krabi – catnip for beach lovers – will follow in October (from £1,204 return), as will Phnom Penh in Cambodia (£1,458) and Indonesia’s city of Medan (£1,674).

In November, Etihad will add Hong Kong (£1,670), Chiang Mai in Thailand (£1,296) and Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, famous for its temples and maze-like Old Quarter (£1,386).

Saudi: a rising star

It’s boom time in Saudi Arabia, with the launch of a whole new airline – Riyadh Air – in spring. Operating from the capital, it will fly to Asia, Africa and Europe; the initial destinations are still TBC, but CEO Tony Douglas has signed deals with the likes of Singapore Airlines and Air China to help position Riyadh as a new Middle East hub, akin to Dubai and Doha.

Virgin Atlantic will start Heathrow–Riyadh flights in March, while Qatar Airways will head to Abha, in Saudi’s mountainous southern region of Asir – known for its spectacular hiking and birdwatching. Flights will commence in January, via Doha.

And for glorious beaches and Maldives-style overwater villas, Red Sea International Airport – on Saudi’s west coast – is due to open fully in 2025. It’s currently served by a few regional and domestic flights, but operators are hopeful that routes from Europe are on the horizon.