Airlines launch more than 50 new international routes in October
The new routes include the first direct flights from London to Phuket and from Melbourne to Helsinki.
Explainer
More than 50 new commercial flight routes are launching this month as the 2026–27 IATA winter season gets underway.
October is the biggest route-launch month of the autumn, with airlines activating new long-haul services they have been building toward all year.
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The winter season officially begins on October 26.
What are the major new routes from the UK?
London's airports are launching eight new routes in October 2026.
Virgin Atlantic will begin seasonal service from Heathrow to Phuket, Thailand on October 18, marking the first time the popular Thai destination is served from Heathrow.
Flights will operate three times a week on a Boeing 787-9, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from Heathrow, returning Monday, Thursday and Saturday from Phuket.
One-way fares start from £647.
British Airways is restoring flights from Gatwick to Colombo, Sri Lanka on October 23 after more than a decade away, operating three weekly flights using Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
Sri Lanka has been one of the most-requested destinations BA has not served, and the return of a direct Gatwick, Colombo service is significant news for the large British Sri Lankan diaspora.
British Airways will also move its London service to San José, Costa Rica from Gatwick to Heathrow on October 25, operating five weekly flights using Boeing 787 aircraft.
The move to Heathrow increases frequency from 4 to 5 weekly and dramatically improves connectivity for passengers connecting from elsewhere in the UK.
British Airways will begin daily Gatwick, Barbados service from October 25.
This is the winter-sun Caribbean connection that fills every seat from Gatwick through the UK half-term, Christmas, and New Year period.
What new routes are launching from Australia?
October 2026 is the most significant month for Australian international aviation since borders reopened post-COVID.
Finnair will start daily Melbourne, Bangkok, Helsinki flights on October 26 using an A350-900 offering Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins, becoming the first Finnish carrier to serve Australia.
The Bangkok stopover is approximately 9 hours from Melbourne and 9 hours from Helsinki, making it a natural mid-point rest and connection hub.
Air New Zealand will be the first international airline to operate from the new Western Sydney International Airport, with three weekly flights to Auckland beginning on October 26 on A320/A321 aircraft.
Western Sydney International Airport opens on October 25.
Qantas will begin one-stop flights from Melbourne to London via Perth International Airport from October, operating daily via its Western Australia hub.
This is separate from Qantas’s Project Sunrise nonstop Sydney, London service, due in 2027.
For Australian readers in Melbourne, this is now your most direct London option until Project Sunrise.
What new routes are launching from Canada and the US?
Etihad will launch service from Abu Dhabi to Calgary on October 25.
Air Canada will launch a Toronto, Tenerife route on October 25, which will be the only direct flight between North America and the Canary Islands.
Air India will launch a Mumbai, Toronto route on October 25.
United Airlines will launch a Chicago, Tokyo Narita route in October, along with seasonal service from Newark to St. John’s and new routes from Denver to Ottawa and Quebec City.
Jetstar will launch a Perth, Christchurch route on October 27.
How do business class seats factor into long-haul travel?
Business class seats are a major factor for travelers booking long-haul routes, with features like sliding doors and bed length influencing decisions.
Qatar Airways' Qsuite, which debuted in 2017, features a sliding door and a lie-flat bed at every position in a 1-2-1 layout on Boeing 777 and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
The center section allows two middle seats to convert into a double bed, or four center seats to open into a shared space for families or colleagues.
Each suite comes with an adjustable entertainment monitor, a do-not-disturb indicator and a door that stays shut for the length of the flight.
Singapore Airlines' A350 business class is a 1-2-1 cabin with direct aisle access and a fully flat bed, but no sliding door.
Closely related versions of the same seat appear across much of the carrier's widebody fleet, which is part of the appeal.
The A350-900ULR variant, used on ultra-long routes like Singapore to New York and Singapore to Newark, carries only business class and premium economy.
On a sector pushing 18 hours, mattress quality and cabin altitude do more for a passenger than a door would.
Cathay Pacific's Aria Suite is a fully enclosed business class seat with a sliding door, arranged 1-2-1 and first installed on the airline's Boeing 777-300ER fleet.
The seat folds flat into a bed of roughly six feet six inches, longer than the six feet or so common across the cabin class.
Almost every major airline is mid-retrofit, meaning older seats without doors still fly on many routes.
The aircraft assigned to a specific flight can matter as much as the airline on the ticket, so checking the aircraft type before booking is the only reliable confirmation.
Air Canada's new Toronto, Tenerife service will operate five times weekly.
With files from Travel Tourister