All the New Flight Routes to Europe for 2026
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I always say that the best airline to fly to Europe is the one that will get you to your destination in the shortest amount of time and at the highest level of service that you’re willing to pay for.
Direct flights are the secret to shorter travel times, getting you to your destination faster and without the stress of multiple connections.
WHENEVER AIRLINES ANNOUNCE NEW DIRECT FLIGHT ROUTES, I PAY ATTENTION!
New flight routes are even one of the factors I use to formulate my annual list of The Best Places to Travel in Europe.
If you’re planning a European trip in 2026, then read on to learn about the newest flight routes to Europe from North America and South America.
And if you’re a European trying to map out your holiday destinations, skip down to the section on new flight routes within Europe.
All the New Flight Routes to Europe for 2026
New Direct Flight Routes from United States to Europe for 2026
In 2026, the major North American carriers are expanding beyond traditional gateways like London and Rome to under the radar destinations like Prague, Malta, and Reykjavik.
Points of departure are also shifting from major North American capitals to regional ones, with new routes departing from cities like Raleigh-Durham and San Diego.
And those looking to discover the Mediterranean this year will have a wealth of options, as destinations in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Croatia account for the largest share of new routes.
Raleigh–Durham, North Carolina (RDU) → Dublin, Ireland (DUB); from April 2026
Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) → Athens, Greece (ATH)
Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) → Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH)*
Miami (MIA) → Milan, Italy (MXP)
Philadelphia (PHL) → Budapest, Hungary (BUD)
Philadelphia (PHL) → Prague, Czech Republic (PRG)
Boston (BOS) → Madrid, Spain (MAD)*
Boston (BOS) → Nice, France (NCE)
Seattle (SEA) → Rome, Italy (FCO)
Seattle (SEA) → Barcelona, Spain (BCN)
New York (JFK) → Olbia, Sardinia (OLB)*
New York (JFK) → Porto, Portugal (OPO)
New York (JFK) → Malta (MLA)
Houston (IAH) → Rome, Italy (FCO); from May 1, 2026
Boston (BOS) → Barcelona, Spain (BCN)
Boston (BOS) → Milan, Italy (MXP)
KLM:
San Diego (SAN) → Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS); from May 8, 2025
San Francisco (SFO) → Warsaw, Poland (WAW); from May 6, 2026
Newark (EWR) → Split, Croatia (SPU)
Newark (EWR) → Bari, (Apulia) Italy (BRI)*
Newark (EWR) → Glasgow, Scotland (GLA)*
Newark (EWR) → Santiago de Compostela, Spain (SCQ)
Washington Dulles (IAD) → Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF)
New Direct Flight Routes from Canada to Europe for 2026
Both of Canada’s largest carriers are adding routes from Halifax, offering more options beyond the typical hubs of Montreal and Toronto.
The new destinations are a mix of Western European capitals, like Brussels, Madrid, and Lisbon, as well as smaller cities like Nantes, Cardiff, and Glasgow.
Two standout destinations from Canada this year include the Azores, in Portugal, and Reykjavik, Iceland.
Montreal (YUL) → Berlin, Germany (BER)
Montreal (YUL) → Nantes, France (NTE)
Toronto (YYZ) → Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Portugal (PDL)
Halifax (YHZ) → Brussels, Belgium (BRU)
Toronto (YYZ) → Madrid, Spain (MAD)*, from June 13, 2026
Toronto (YYZ) → Cardiff, United Kingdom (CWL)
Toronto (YYZ) → Glasgow, Scotland (GLA)*
Toronto (YYZ) → Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Portugal (PDL)
Halifax (YHZ) → Madrid, Spain (MAD)*
Halifax (YHZ) → Lisbon, Portugal (LIS)
Halifax (YHZ) → Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH)
Edmonton (YEG) → Reykjavik (KEF)
Winnipeg (YWG) → Reykjavik (KEF)
New Direct Flight Routes from Mexico to Europe for 2026
Those traveling from Mexico will appreciate two new routes to Western European hotspots Paris and Barcelona.
Mexico City (MEX) → Barcelona, Spain (BCN); from March 28, 2026
Monterrey (MTY) → Paris, France (CDG); from April 13, 2026
New Direct Flight Routes from South America to Europe for 2026
Travellers from South America are getting a handful of new routes to Western European hubs that will make it convenient to travel onward to other destinations.
Fortaleza, Brazil (FOR) → Madrid, Spain (MAD); from January 19, 2026
KLM:
Georgetown, Guyana (GEO) → Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS); from June 4, 2025
São Paulo (GRU) → Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS); from April 2026
São Paulo (GRU) → Brussels, Belgium (BRU); from June 2026
New Direct Flight Routes within Europe for 2026
Within Europe, new flight routes for 2026 are showing the emergence of cool-weather destinations as a viable option for summer holidays.
This was one of the biggest travel trends in this year’s list of the The Best Places to Travel in Europe in 2026, and airlines are reacting to the demand.
TRONDHEIM, NORWAY AND OULU, FINLAND ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THIS TREND.
Smaller national carriers are showing a boldness to develop their own routes, as well, rather than simply acting as the regional arms of larger continental carriers.
And short, seasonal windows are being used to test routes before committing to year round capacity.
Frankfurt (FRA) → Trondheim, Norway (TRD); from May 1, 2026
Zurich (ZRH) → Poznań, Poland (POZ); from March 29, 2026
Zurich (ZRH) → Rijeka, Croatia (RJK); from July - August 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Alicante, Spain (ALC); from March - October 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Bilbao, Spain (BIO); from March - October 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Bastia, Corsica (BIA); from June - September 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Bergen, Norway (BGO); from June - September 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Ohrid, Macedonia (OHD); from May - October 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Mytilini, (Lesbos) Greece (MJT); from June - September 2026
Vienna (VIE) → Azores, Portugal (PDL); from mid-June - September 2026
London City (LCY) → Toulon Saint-Tropez, France (TLN); from May 23, 2026
London Stansted (STN) → Olbia, Sardinia (OLB); from May 23, 2026
Glasgow (GLA) → San Sebastián, Spain (EAS); from July 18, 2026
Frankfurt (FRA) → Larnaca, Cyprus (LCA); from March 29, 2026
Frankfurt (FRA) → Oulu, Finland (OUL); from March 30, 2026
Frankfurt (FRA) → Shannon, Ireland (SNN); from April 04, 2026
Frankfurt (FRA) → Brindisi, Italy (BDS); from June 02, 2026
Munich (MUC) → Larnaca, Cyprus (LCA); from March 29, 2026
Munich (MUC) → Evenes, Norway (EVE); from May 13, 2026
Munich (MUC) → Skiathos, Greece (JSI); from May 14, 2026
Helsinki (HEL) → Stavanger, Norway (SVG)
Helsinki (HEL) → Umeå, Sweden (UME)
Helsinki (HEL) → Luxembourg, Luxembourg (LUX)
Helsinki (HEL) → Thessaloniki, Greece (SKG)
Helsinki (HEL) → Turin, Italy (TRN)
Helsinki (HEL) → Tirana, Albania (TIA)
Helsinki (HEL) → Kuressaare, Estonia (URE)
Gdańsk (GDN) → Istanbul, Türkiye (IST); from January 14, 2026
Warsaw (WAW) → Málaga, Spain (AGP); from January 15, 2026
Warsaw (WAW) → Palma de Mallorca, Spain (PMI); from May 30, 2026
Warsaw (WAW) → Heraklion, (Crete), Greece (HER); from May 30, 2026
SAS:
Copenhagen (CPH) → Istanbul, Türkiye (IST); from March 26, 2026
Copenhagen (CPH) → Riga, Latvia (RIX); from March 8, 2026
Copenhagen (CPH) → Luxembourg, Luxembourg (LUX); from March 9, 2026
Copenhagen (CPH) → Bordeaux, France (BOD); from May 15, 2026
Copenhagen (CPH) → Marseille, France (MRS); from June 22, 2026
Copenhagen (CPH) → Visby, Sweden (VBY); from June 22, 2026
Stockholm (ARN) → Madrid, Spain (MAD); from March 29, 2026
Oslo (OSL) → Hamburg, Germany (HAM); from March 30, 2026
Conclusion
If you’re booking flights this year, here are a few tips that I use to book airfare:
FIRST, I ALWAYS SEARCH ON A FLIGHT AGGREGATOR WEBSITE LIKE GOOGLE FLIGHTS OR SKYSCANNER.
This gives you access to multiple airlines at once, and allows you to filter for things like departure time, flight duration, and stops.
If your dates are flexible, use the date grid feature to see the best possible prices by departure and arrival dates.
AND FINALLY, DON’T BE AFRAID TO BOOK A HIGHER CLASS OF SERVICE FOR A LONG, INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT.
You can read more about my experience on Delta Airline’s business class, Delta One, to learn more about the benefits of lie flat seats, business class airport lounges, and priority luggage handling.
Happy flying! ✈️
Angela