Stockholm Heats Up

• What’s up in Stockholm? A lot, at least if you ask network planners. Eurowings, Finnair, and Ryanair have all opened or plan to open new bases at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport during the pandemic, which complement SAS‘ existing base there. And now Norwegian Air wants (back) in on the action. The Oslo-based discounter plans to reopen its base at Arlanda in time for the summer travel season, and nearly two years after it shuttered said base. Norwegian plans to fly 54 European routes from the airport in summer 2022, according to Arlanda operator Swedavia Airports. Norwegian will fly three routes from Arlanda in January: Alicante, Malaga, and Oslo, Cirium schedule data show.
  
• Philippine Airlines is spreading its wings to Tel Aviv. The recently restructured carrier will launch twice-weekly flights between Manila and Tel Aviv with an Airbus A350 from April 7, Cirium schedules show. The move comes as it continues to fly such long-haul routes at New York and Toronto despite having outlined plans to drop them during its U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. PAL will face no competition on the Manila-Tel Aviv route.
  
• Air Serbia will add eight new destinations to its map this summer. The Serbian carrier will connect its Belgrade hub to Valencia from April. Then in June, flights will begin to Amman, Jordan; Bari, Bologna, and Trieste, Italy; Lyon, France; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Rijeka, Croatia; and Sochi, Russia. All of the routes operate two- or three-times weekly, except Amman at four-times weekly, and will be flown with either Airbus A320 family or ATR 72 aircraft. Bari, Mallorca, and Rijeka are seasonal summer routes.
  
• American Airlines might face pilot staffing challenges at its regional affiliates but that’s not keeping it from trying three new leisure markets this summer. The Oneworld carrier will connect Austin with Cozumel, Mexico, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, weekly on Saturdays from June 11, according to Cirium schedules. In addition, it will offer a comparable schedule on its new link between Chicago O’Hare and Martha’s Vineyard from the same day. All three routes will be flown with Embraer E175s and operate through the summer.
  
• Salt Lake City is Spirit Airlines‘ 14th new destination since the pandemic began. The discounter will connect the Utah capital to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando with four daily flights from May 26. Salt Lake City joins Memphis and Ponce, Puerto Rico, as new markets in 2022.

— Edward Russell