Welcome to my 195th weekly routes article! It includes seven mini-stories about subjectively exciting services that took off between December 9 and 15. As always, only a selection of additions has been chosen.

United Begins Flights To 4th Australian City

History was made on December 11, when United took off from San Francisco to Adelaide. The first service in the opposite direction was on December 13. The Star Alliance member’s 787-9s run three times weekly. It is the first time the capital of South Australia has had flights from North America.

At a considerable 7,013 nautical miles (12,988 km) each way, it is comfortably Adelaide’s longest-ever nonstop route. It surpasses the distance of what was number one, Doha-Adelaide, by 14%.

Looking ahead to January, United plans 52 weekly departures to Australia, with seven to eight daily flights. They’ve risen from 45 weekly services in January 2025. It now has seven routes: Houston to Sydney; Los Angeles to Melbourne and Sydney; and San Francisco to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Turkish Airlines Arrives In Phnom Penh

Europe has welcomed its first flight to Cambodia in 12 years. On December 10, Turkish Airlines lifted off from Istanbul Airport—which is on the European side of the Bosphorus—to Phnom Penh via Bangkok (fifth freedom rights are not available). It flies to Cambodia’s new Techo International Airport.

As is often the case, the initial two round-trip services deployed the 777-300ER (shown below) to accommodate the press, dignitaries, etc. Thereafter, the three-times-weekly route uses the A330-300, with Turkish Airlines’ older and less enticing cabins.

Cambodia last had European passenger service in 2013, when Air France pulled out (it served the old Phnom Penh International Airport). Flights variously stopped in either Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City. Cambodia was once a French colony, and France still accounts for the bulk of the European traffic. It’ll be what Turkish Airlines mainly targets.

Air Senegal Arrives In Belgium

When you think of Dakar to Brussels, you might not think of the A320ceo. But that’s what Air Senegal is using on its brand-new service, which began on December 9. A heavy payload restriction will be needed; it won’t be a recipe for strong performance.

Operating three times a week, the route covers 2,409 nautical miles (4,461 km) each way. With 57,000 round-trip passengers, it’s a reasonably sized francophone market. But it competes directly with Brussels Airlines (daily A330-300) and TUI (twice-weekly 737 MAX 8).

Of course, Air Senegal partly serves the market due to connections across Central/Western Africa. As you’d expect, its schedule is set up for it. A quick wait enables passengers to transfer to/from various cities, including Conakry (34,000 passengers to/from Brussels), Abidjan (31,000), and Banjul (15,000).

Iberia Begins 1st A321XLR Service To South America

On December 12, the oneworld member relaunched flights from Madrid to Recife, with a three-weekly XLR service. IB139 leaves the Spanish capital at 11:50 am and arrives in Brazil at 4:45 pm local time (8h 55m). Returning, IB140 departs at 6:10 pm and returns at 6:15 am+1 local time (8h).

It is Iberia’s first route to South America on narrowbody equipment. However, it is its second time in Recife, having last flown there in 2011, when the A340 was used. Flights were tagged with Fortaleza, which returns to its network in January, just on the XLR.

It joins AZUL between Madrid and Recife, which debuted in June 2025. While the market had no flights between 2012 and 2024, it now has two carriers, but for how long?

flydubai Launches Flights To The Baltics

In the past week, the narrowbody-operating flydubai began flying to the Baltics. It didn’t just begin one route, but two.

On December 11, it left Dubai for Vilnius (three weekly 737 MAX 8), followed by Dubai to Riga the next day (three weekly 737 MAX 8). Unsurprisingly, they are among the carrier’s longest European flights.

It competes directly with airBaltic in both markets. Yet, they don’t have that much local traffic. Riga-Dubai has 37,000 round-trip passengers, while Vilnius has 26,000.

Of course, flydubai will carry passengers across its network—and Emirates’ network—via Dubai. Riga’s five most important eastbound markets are Tashkent, Bangkok, Delhi, Singapore, and Tokyo. From Vilnius: Tokyo, Delhi, Bangkok, Seoul, and Tashkent.

Hong Kong Airlines Has Doubled Its Australian Routes

On December 12, Hong Kong Airlines began flying from the Pearl of the Orient to Melbourne. Timed to coincide with the peak summer Down Under and Christmas, flights run three times weekly on the A330-300.

In the year to October 2025, 290,000 round-trip local passengers flew between Hong Kong and Melbourne. Hong Kong Airlines is now the third operator, joining Cathay Pacific and Qantas. The city pair last had three airlines in 2020, when Virgin Australia also operated.

It is Hong Kong Airlines’ second Australian city. Its debut took place in June, when it began flying to Sydney. When writing, no other city is planned yet—at least not publicly.

Allegiant Arrives In Atlantic City

Perhaps surprisingly, the ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant has not previously served Atlantic City. That changed on December 11, when its initial flight, from Fort Lauderdale, touched down. It competes directly with Spirit, which has served the city pair since 1993.

Allegiant will soon begin flying to Punta Gorda, Sanford, and Tampa St. Pete. It’ll compete indirectly with Spirit, which flies to Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa.

Allegiant’s arrival means Atlantic City has two scheduled passenger carriers again (excluding American’s bus service to Philadelphia). However, Sun Country has multiple charter services to the airport, although the airline’s submission to Cirium suggests these end soon. In the past two decades, Air Canada, AirTran, Choice Aire, Delta, US Airways, United, WestJet, etc., all flew there.