While the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, known as omicron, has led to tightened travel restrictions around the world, airlines remain hopeful that new routes scheduled to start this month will be able to launch as planned.

Among the carriers set to inaugurate new services in December is Colombia’s flag-carrier Avianca, which intends to introduce 11 routes to its network. In Colombia, the airline will begin flying from the country’s capital Bogota (BOG) to Toronto (YYZ), as well as between Cali (CLO) and New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and between Medellín (MDE) and San Andrés (ADZ).

From San Jose (SJU) in Puerto Rico, flights will start to Mexico City (MEX), New York JFK, Los Angeles (LAX) and Cancun (CUN), while from Guayaquil (GYE) in Ecuador service will open to New York JFK.

The remaining three routes will connect Guatemala (GUA) with Miami (MIA), New York JFK and Washington Dulles (IAD).

American Airlines is also set to start nine new routes in December, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows, including further expansion from its Miami hub. New routes from the South Florida airport include service to Anguilla (AXA), Chetumal (CTM), Dominica (DOM), Salt Lake City (SLC) and San Andres (ADZ).

Other eye-catching services starting this month include Aeromexico’s addition of two routes to the Spanish capital Madrid (MAD). The SkyTeam alliance member will begin flying to Madrid from Guadalajara’s Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL) on Dec. 15, followed by flights from Monterrey (MTY) in the state of Nuevo León a day later. Both routes will operate three times per week using 787s.

Elsewhere, Scoot is launching a new long-haul service to the UK with a flight that connects Singapore (SIN) and London Gatwick (LGW) via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK); Qatar Airways is growing its Ukrainian network; and Finnair is adding another US route from Stockholm (ARN).

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