One more year we reopen our list of new airlines being launched all around the world.

This list aims to be as complete as possible, although it may not be exhaustive at times, since it is hard to track everything that happens in every corner of the world, so feel free to send your tips and suggestions. Your contribution has been really helpful in the past and it is greatly appreciated!

Btw, in case you are curious about it, here is the 2023 list.

Toki Air (Japan)

This is a long awaited debut, at least three years in the making. Toki Air seems finally ready to take off in January 2024. It is a regional low cost airline operating a fleet of ATR-72 aircraft in Japan.

Universal Air (Malta)

This one is, technically, not a new airline, since it has existed as an entity since at least 2022. What’s new of this Maltese operator, though, is that it is now starting scheduled flights.

In fact, there was talk they were about to launch a route between Bucharest, Romania, and Haifa, Israel, in the Autumn of 2023, although I am not sure this happened at the end.

The other route that Universal Air is planning will connect Pecs, Hungary, to Munich. Universal Air has acquired 4 DeHavilland Canada Dash-8 Q400 aircraft from Nordic Aviation Capital, which it plans to use in its new scheduled business.

KM Malta Airlines

This is the successor to Air Malta. In fact, more of a technical transfer of assets to a new entity after the old Air Malta went bankrupt. KM Air Malta starts afresh, with a clean balance sheet, 8 Airbus A320 aircraft and a new strategy. Let’s see how it goes!

Air Kerala (India)

In July 2024, Air Kerala received the non-objection certificate from the Indian Aviation Ministry. Although this is not yet the AOC. The founders of this airline, led by UAE-based travel entrepreneur and Kerala native, Afi Ahmed, want to launch before the end of 2024. The goal of this new airline will be to connect Kerala to the Gulf region operating with an ultra low cost model. But to comply with India’s aviation regulations, they will have to operate domestically for at least five years and grow the fleet to 20 aircraft. So, for now, Air Kerala is expected to be a domestic airline operating ATR-72-600 aircraft.

Air Haifa (Israel)

This new airline aims to save lots of time to residents in Northern Israel, which at the moment need several hours for the drive to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport plus all the regular airport procedures. Air Haifa will launch with ATR-72 aircraft and plans to link the eponymous port city to Eilat (on Israel’s Red Sea coast) as well as to other, yet to be named, destinations along the Mediterranean rim. You can find out more about Air Haifa on this piece I wrote on AeroTime.

Bees Airlines (Romania)

This is a new Romanian low cost carrier operating Airbus A320 aircraft. It looks like the investors behind this startup airline bought the trademark used by another low cost carrier that operated briefly in Ukraine before the 2022 Russian invasion. Bees Airlines will operate from Romania and Moldova to a handful of destinations across Europe and Israel.

Asman Airlines (Kyrgyzstan)

This is a state-owned airline in Kyrgyzstan, it can be considered, thus, the flag carrier of this Central Asian country. It started operating in September 2024 with a single Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop, and, at least for now, its entire network is domestic.

New airlines launched in 2024 - the list is open! (as of 28/9/24)