Aviation Week reported that international carriers are launching several high-profile long-haul routes in November 2026, adjusting to regional travel demand and airspace developments. Turkish Airlines is scheduled to commence flights between Istanbul Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport on November 11, operating three times weekly with Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Chengdu becomes the carrier's fourth destination in mainland China alongside Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong, and Guangzhou.
According to the report, Turkish Airlines has directed more widebody capacity toward Asia and China due to strong demand and shifting traffic flows linked to disruption in the Middle East. The carrier's one-way seat capacity from Istanbul to Asian destinations rose 17.8% year over year in summer 2026, while available seats to mainland China increased by 71.5%.
In the Gulf, Qatar Airways is scheduled to begin a twice-weekly triangular Doha–Bogota–Caracas–Doha service on November 4 using Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The service marks the first time a Gulf carrier flies to Venezuela and offers nonstop links between the Middle East, Colombia, and Venezuela. Qatar Airways' schedule is designed to facilitate passenger connections via its Doha hub to markets including China and the UAE.
Additional global services launching in November include Copa Airlines' route between Panama City and Porlamar, Air Astana's flights from Almaty to Tokyo Narita, IndiGo's nonstop service connecting Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, and Air New Zealand's resumption of widebody services from Christchurch to Tokyo Narita and Perth.
Sources
- Aviation Week · 2026-11-02
