If you thought the UK route map had settled down, think again. Airlines are swapping slots, adding frequencies, and plotting summer comebacks faster than you can say “terminal congestion.” From United’s long-awaited return to Glasgow to IndiGo’s Heathrow debut and Riyadh Air’s royal entrance, here’s what’s changing in the skies over Britain.
In This Post
United heads for Glasgow (finally!)
NEW ROUTE: Starting 8 May 2026, United Airlines will operate Newark-Glasgow service for the summer season.
- UA230 United Airlines departs Newark at 10:15 PM, landing in Glasgow at 10:10 AM (arriving the following day).
- UA231 leaves Glasgow at 2:00 PM, touching down in Newark at 4:35 PM.
- Operated daily on the Boeing 737 MAX 8, the route will run from May to September.
A transatlantic comeback that’s bound to please Scotland’s US-bound flyers.
IndiGo gets cosy at Heathrow.
Slot shuffle alert: Virgin Atlantic is set to lease 14 weekly slots (7 arrivals, 7 departures) to IndiGo from Winter 2025, marking the Indian carrier’s debut at London Heathrow T3 (subject to confirmation).
NEW ROUTE: IndiGo – Mumbai (BOM) to London Heathrow (LHR) Launches 26 October 2025
- 6E1 departs Mumbai 1:10 PM (Fri) → arrives Heathrow 5:45 PM
- 6E1 departs Mumbai 2:45 PM (Mon–Thu, Sat–Sun) → arrives 7:20 PM
- 6E2 returns from Heathrow 7:50 PM (Fri) → arrives Mumbai 10:05 AM (arriving the following day)
- 6E2 returns 9:10 PM (Thu) → arrives 11:20 AM (arriving the following day)
- 6E2 returns 9:30 PM (Mon–Wed, Sat–Sun) → arrives 11:45 AM (arriving the following day)
And the Manchester expansion continues:
NEW ROUTE: IndiGo – Delhi (DEL) to Manchester (MAN) Launching 15 November 2025
- 6E33 DEL 4:05 AM → MAN 9:30 AM (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat)
- 6E34 MAN 11:15 AM → DEL 2:10 AM (arriving the following day) (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
- Flights are on sale now, marking IndiGo’s boldest UK push yet.
Riyadh Air sets its sights on Heathrow.
NEW ROUTE: Launching 26 October 2025, operating daily.
- RX401 departs Riyadh at 3:15 AM, arrives Heathrow at 7:30 AM.
- RX402 departs Heathrow at 9:30 AM and lands in Riyadh at 7:15 PM.
- Initially, using leased aircraft until Riyadh Air’s own 787-9s take over in December.
Tickets go on sale imminently. Get ready for a royal purple arrival at T4.
Air Transat goes capital-to-capital
NEW ROUTE: Launching 15 May 2026
- TS382 YOW 7:40 PM → LGW 7:55 AM (arriving the following day) (Tue, Fri, Sun)
- TS383 LGW 9:40 AM → YOW 12:40 PM (Tue, Fri, Sun)
The knock-on effect:
- Toronto–LGW drops to 11× weekly in peak summer 2026.
- Glasgow–Toronto trimmed to 6× weekly.
- Manchester–Toronto (6×) and Montreal–LGW (7×) stay steady.
BA adds a third daily flight to Delhi.
British Airways will introduce a third daily London Heathrow – Delhi flight from Summer 2026.
Flights will go on sale soon. With this addition, UK carriers have officially maxed out their 70-weekly flight quota between London, Delhi and Mumbai.
MEA trims Heathrow winter ops
Middle East Airlines (MEA) will reduce Beirut – London Heathrow service from twice daily to once daily for Winter 2025/26, with the second frequency returning 29 March 2026.
A brief hibernation before Beirut’s double-daily return.
China Southern adjusts Gatwick plans.
NEW ROUTE launched 20 June 2024, however, China Southern has since pulled the route back, ending on 26 October 2025, and returning it on 22 June 2026 as a summer-only operation.
Zhengzhou – London Gatwick also disappears after 9 December 2025.
It seems Gatwick will be taking a break until next summer.
Jazeera eyes London entry
Jazeera Airways has quietly filed for Winter 2025/26 slots at Gatwick, Luton and Stansted.
If approved, expect Kuwait’s blue-tailed carrier to test UK waters with a value-focused London launch.
Air Canada reshuffles for Ottawa.
Air Canada will cut its Heathrow–Mumbai service from 7× to 4× weekly to free up capacity for a year-round Ottawa–Heathrow operation.
A smart swap that keeps Canada’s capital connected beyond the summer peak.
Emirates ramps up Heathrow again.
Because 42 weekly flights weren’t enough…
Emirates will add 6 extra Heathrow rotations from Winter 2025/26, taking the total to 48× weekly, operated on 777-300ERs.
- EK41 DXB 12:55 PM → LHR 4:55 PM (Thu)
- DXB 1:40 PM → LHR 5:40 PM (Tue, Wed, Sat–Sun)
- DXB 1:40 PM → LHR 5:45 PM (Mon)
- EK42 LHR 9:20 PM → DXB 8:20 AM (arriving the following day) (Tue, Thu, Sat)
- LHR 10:35 PM → DXB 9:35 AM (arriving the following day) (Mon, Wed, Sun)
Dubai to London just got even busier. Good luck snagging an upgrade.
Keep the Miles Rolling
