Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes and codeshare partnerships
Emirates boosts connections across China with new daily flights to Hangzhou
Emirates has launched a daily service to Hangzhou, its fifth destination in mainland China and the second new route added within a month after Shenzhen.
Operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, flight EK310 arrived at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on July 30, welcomed by local officials and a water cannon salute. Passengers on the inaugural flight from Dubai received commemorative items including keychains, certificates and Chinese tea tasting sets.
The Boeing 777-300ER features eight First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats and 304 Economy seats, with Emirates’ entertainment system offering over 6,500 channels in more than 40 languages, including Chinese, alongside regionally inspired menus.
Emirates now operates 49 weekly flights to five Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. The airline has extended its complimentary chauffeur-drive service to Hangzhou, offering transfers within 80 kilometres of the airport in Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicles for First and Business Class passengers.
Emirates’ schedule offers connections from 40 European destinations, 21 in Africa, 13 in the Middle East, as well as Brazil and Argentina, to Hangzhou via Dubai. The airline also provides convenient two-way connections from Hangzhou to cities including Istanbul, Barcelona, Cairo and Johannesburg.
Korean Air expands Seoul Incheon-Kobe service with enhanced connections
Korean Air has expanded its Japan network with the launch of a twice-daily service between Seoul Incheon and Kobe.
The Seoul Incheon-Kobe route, which began in April, is operated by Airbus A321neo aircraft and is the only service on the route by a South Korean carrier. The service connects with Korean Air’s three daily flights from Singapore, enabling efficient transfers through Seoul Incheon International Airport without the need to change terminals.
The airline has coordinated schedules to provide both short and extended layover options in Seoul. Passengers arriving from Singapore on the overnight KE644 flight, for example, can connect to KE731 to Kobe after a 145-minute transit. Alternatively, travellers on KE646 can make a longer stop before boarding KE733 in the afternoon.
For return journeys, passengers on KE732 from Kobe can connect to Singapore-bound KE643 with a 105-minute layover, while those on KE734 in the evening can catch the overnight KE647 flight.
Garuda Indonesia, Singapore Airlines to expand codeshare and lounge access
Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) will enhance their commercial cooperation in August 2025 with joint fare sales, expanded codeshare destinations and reciprocal lounge access.
From August, customers can book flights operated by both airlines between Singapore and Indonesia on a single itinerary, providing more fare options and convenience.
The codeshare expansion will add four SIA destinations for Garuda passengers: Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi and Male. SIA customers will gain new connections on Garuda Indonesia flights from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, and Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, Lombok and Manado. Existing codeshare routes between Singapore and Denpasar, Jakarta and Surabaya, as well as SIA flights to London and Mumbai, remain in place.
From mid-August, GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer members travelling between Singapore and the three Indonesian cities will have reciprocal lounge access, including Garuda Executive, KrisFlyer Gold and Business Class SilverKris lounges. Members will also be able to earn and redeem miles on the new codeshare routes under their frequent flyer partnership launched in February 2025.
SIA increased Singapore-Jakarta flights to nine daily in May 2025. Subject to approvals, Garuda Indonesia plans to raise Jakarta-Singapore frequency to seven daily flights in 4Q2025, up from six, with further increases expected.
Air Astana, China Southern Airlines sign codeshare agreement
Air Astana and China Southern Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement to enhance cooperation on key routes between Kazakhstan and China, offering travellers more flight options.
The agreement covers Air Astana flights from Almaty to Beijing Capital, Urumqi and Guangzhou, as well as from Astana to Beijing. China Southern Airlines’ codeshare routes include regular services from Beijing Daxing, Guangzhou, Urumqi and Xi’an to Almaty, plus flights from Guangzhou and Urumqi to Astana.
