Whether they operate locally, on medium or long haul, the planes of the new airlines have taken over the skies since 2020. The number of new airlines is exploding while the others have suffered heavily from their exposure to the health crisis, with a whole fleet of aircraft to keep grounded, resulting in heavy tax and maintenance expenses at airports, with no cash flow.
In Europe, North America or Asia, here is a world tour of all the new airlines launched since 2020. For each, a brief explanation of their field of activity and their model. It will also be an opportunity for you to discover new destinations for your travels on board an aircraft, and to understand to what extent the air sector, once presented as hopeless in the face of the health crisis, is in fact booming.
The new European companies
Play
To start, let’s talk about Europe starting with the rise of Play, launched in June 2021. After launching Wow in 2011, one of its leaders wanted to try again with Play to have an airline specialized in routing towards Iceland and the city of Reykjavik. This time, the company is focusing on flights with smaller planes (the Airbus A330 having caused the biggest loss of Wow) and is turning 100% to the United States with flights to New York City, Boston, Orlando and Baltimore since last spring.
ITA Airways
Following the bankruptcy of Alitalia in Italy, the country’s new flagship is now called ITA Airways. And this since October 15, 2021. Namely that the company is 100% controlled by the State and that it took over a large part of the staff and the fleet of the former Alitalia. According to its first feedback, in one year, it was able to resume its activity at a significant rate with the milestone of 9 million passengers reached.
Aeroitalia
In reaction to an Italian air market greatly represented by the public company, an entrepreneur has decided to launch his own company during this month of December 2022. It is called Aeroitalia and plans to settle at Forli airport , in the north of the country. To get started, it integrated several Boeing 737-800s into its fleet. It hopes to be able to take advantage of Bergamo airport, which serves Milan in particular, where there are many possibilities for destinations and connections.
SkyAlps
Notice to mountaineers and mountain and Dolomite enthusiasts. The new company SkyAlps does not use airliners but De Havilland Dash 8-Q400 to connect no less than 17 destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean to its base in Bolzano, Italy. In this city, the road is no longer very long to enjoy a holiday in one of the most beautiful regions of the Alps. The new company already bridges the cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Ibiza, and also makes it possible to travel to Sardinia, Sicily, the city of Billund in Denmark or even Brac in Croatia.
Norse Atlantic Airways
The new low cost company Norse will be talked about in Europe. It uses the model and part of the Norwegian fleet (and pilots) to operate medium and long-haul flights to North America. It thus recovers highly efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliners for these operations and will soon offer a Paris-New York line. The company was founded in February 2021 but its first flights mainly took place last summer.
flyer
Still in Norway, this time with the low cost company Flyr to closer destinations. With its fleet of Boeing 737s, the carrier is targeting Europe and Mediterranean cities. That said, as of this winter, the company is already aiming to reduce its activities to reduce its operating costs. Half of the flights are already concerned. A statement that raises questions about the company launched only a year ago.
But also…
- A new Maltese division for Wizz. The Hungarian carrier plans to charter 80 new Airbus A320s and A321s for its operations.
- FlyArna, which launched in July 2022, is supported by Air Arabia to connect destinations from Armenia to Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait.
- FlyOne, still in Armenia, relies on its A320s to be able to connect the country to Milan, and offer destinations throughout the world thanks to the Italian economic capital.
- Bees Airline, for whom the name certainly means nothing to you, was an airline project seeking to provide bridges between Ukraine and countries in Europe. Launched in March 2021, it had to completely suspend its activities with the Russian invasion in February 2022. Inevitably, its future is more than threatened today.
The new North American companies
Breeze Airways
Let’s start our list of new North American companies with the launch of Breeze Airways in the United States, whose founder is none other than the entrepreneur behind WestJet, JetBlue and Azul. The three successful low-cost airlines in the United States, Canada and Brazil have enough to show that the current model is working for the one who today aims with Breeze Airways at no less than 100 non-stop destinations in 33 cities and 19 states. . Good news for France, the company has started using Airbus A320s rather than Boeing 737s.
Avelo Airlines
Head to California with Avelo Airlines, a new American airline which is starting to set up shop all over the country. Eventually, she wants to be able to launch lots of cities in the direction of Florida in particular. The current Boeing 737 fleet consists of 14 aircraft.
Canada Jetlines
The low cost environment in Canada is particularly developed. And the market is set to grow further with the arrival of Canada Jetlines. The company had been in development for almost ten years and finally succeeded in launching its first flights in September 2022. It will have to compete with the national company Air Canada and its low-cost flights Air Canada Rouge, but also the new company Flair or even Lynx Air.
Arajet
To reach the Caribbean from North America, Arajet is capitalizing on its new Boeing 737 flights. The company is based in the Dominican Republic and started in September 2022. In all, 22 cities will be connected in 12 countries. Five aircraft are already in service and the company plans to receive 26 more.
Two new companies in South America
We must not forget South America, where two new companies have been launched over the past two years. For once, the Airbus A320neo are in the spotlight at JetSmart and Ultra Air, which will cover Peru and Colombia respectively. So far, JetSmart has also worked in Argentina and Chile. His plans will lead him to export also to Bolivia and Ecuador.
New companies in Asia and the Middle East
Akasa Air
In Asia, the air boom has also led airlines to resume after the health crisis. In India, Akasa Air, based in Mumbai, was created in December 2021 and began operations in August 2022. The objective is to reach 70 aircraft within three years.
Vietravel Airlines
In Vietnam, the new company Vietravel Airlines started flying in January 2021 and plans to reach no less than 26 routes by the end of the year. The company expects to be able to connect Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) with several Asian countries. To develop, it relies on the efficiency of the Airbus A320neo and A321neo.
Fly Jinnah
In Pakistan, Air Arabia’s Airbus A320s will operate for domestic flights. The flights started at the end of October 2022. Three aircraft will cover 5 destinations.
Southwind Airlines
Aimed at Russian tourists, Southwind Airlines started in May 2022 with a fleet of aircraft heading to Turkey, where the company is based. For once, it aims to take advantage of the greater demand since the war in Ukraine, while many destinations are now private to Russians.
The new African companies
Lift
South Africa has just welcomed Lift to open new bridges between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. According to its founders, who worked for Uber in particular, the launch took place in just 90 days.
Green Africa Airways
Among the most efficient aircraft manufacturers, the Franco-Italian ATR is at the top of the market for 70-seat regional aircraft. Thanks to its ATR-72-600, the African company Green Africa Airways based in Nigeria has turned its marketing around a responsible environmental image.
ValueJet
Still in Nigeria with ValueJet, which launched its side with Bombardier CRJ-900 separated into two categories of tickets: low cost seats and more premium seats.
Zambia Airways
Zambia Airways, which began flying in September 2021, benefited from a massive investment from Ethiopian Airlines (Africa’s largest carrier). She is the new flagship of Zambia where domestic and regional flights are planned in the southern African country.
