Air Seychelles plans to resume limited passenger services across its regional network from Seychelles (SEZ) to Johannesburg (JNB), Mauritius (MRU) and Tel Aviv (TLV) this winter.

Weekly flights to JNB and MRU will start on Nov. 1, increasing to 3X-weekly and 2X-weekly respectively from Dec. 1. A 2X-weekly service to TLV will begin on Nov. 1.

“As we start to re-establish our network with the gradual re-opening of borders, to ensure that we operate safely we will continue to implement all the required measures at each destination where we operate,” Air Seychelles CEO Remco Althuis said.

As the flights to Mumbai (BOM) remain suspended due to the current COVID-19 restrictions in India, the airline will continue to operate charter flights to the city and Ahmedabad (AMD) on demand.

Southwest Airlines is adding Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) in Colorado to its network this winter as it seeks to attract more leisure traffic. MTJ is close to Telluride, home to a popular ski resort.

Seasonal flights from Denver (DEN) will operate up to 3X-daily, while service from Dallas Love Field (DAL) will be 1X-daily on weekends. Both routes start on Dec. 19.

“Southwest is stretching into new places to provide for two needs: desired options for our customers who seek snow or sun, and wide-open spaces to enjoy a break from the unexpected that 2020 brought; and for our Company, critically-needed new business that offsets the diminished demand for travel across other parts of the country,” Southwest CCO and executive VP Andrew Watterson said.

Following the reopening of Nosy Be to international travelers, Air Austral is planning to resume flights to the island, which is located off Madagascar’s northwestern coast.

The airline will operate Reunion (RUN)-Nosy Be (NOS) charter services on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

“The reopening of Nosy Be is an important step for Air Austral,” the carrier’s chairman and CEO Marie-Joseph Malé said. “After several months of paralysis, this first relaunch marks the gradual restart of our activity from and to Madagascar and more generally of our regional activity.”

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) has canceled flights to Yerevan (EVN) in Armenia until the end of the month amid the escalation of political tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“UIA expects to resume flights to Armenia after the situation stabilizes, with the understanding that flights will only resume when UIA can confirm safety for our flights in the region,” a statement issued by the airline said.

Earlier this month, UIA postponed the resumption of flights to Baku (GYD) until the end of October due to restrictions on entry into Azerbaijan.

Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) is restarting flights to Brussels (BRU) next week although the service will be cargo-only for the time being.

The route from Tokyo Narita (NRT) will be operated 3X-weekly from Oct. 13 using Boeing 787 passenger aircraft, which has a 35-ton belly cargo capacity. ANA has been flying to BRU since 2015 but the route was suspended because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Condor will resume flights to Varadero (VRA) in Cuba from Oct. 31 following the easing of travel restrictions. The leisure airline will start with 3X-weekly services from Frankfurt (FRA) and Dusseldorf (DUS), operating on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Earlier this week, Aviation Week Network reported that Condor is preparing to exit "protective shield proceedings" in November, following the liquidation of its former parent company Thomas Cook Group in September 2019. Protective shield proceedings are a German form of bankruptcy protection.

Photo credit: Condor Airlines